INCLUDE GENDER ISSUES IN WTO AGENDA,
SAY WOMEN ACTIVISTS
GREATER
MARKET ACCESS NEEDED FOR GENDER SENSITIVE PRODUCTS
SYMPOSIUM
ON TRADE, GLOBALISATION AND GENDER
Gender issues should
be included in the agenda of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
negotiations and gender sensitive products i.e., products involving
women, should be put on a fast track for greater market access,
women’s groups participating in the Symposium on Trade, Globalisation
and Gender here have said. This is important because women represent
a large proportion of the workforce especially in developing countries
and the negative effects of trade liberalisation are believed
to be the strongest in informal sectors such as textiles, garments,
handicrafts, marine products, spices etc., and in subsistence
farming where women tend to be predominate. Further, trade liberalisation
in gender sensitive products (GSPs) should address non-trade barriers
including trade defence measures like anti-dumping, subsidies
and safeguard actions. Special dispensation such as peace clause
against trade defence measures in textile and clothing following
the phase-out of the Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) would be of
great benefit. Safety valves by way of special safeguard mechanisms
against import surges on GSPs should also be built in with a view
to ensuring greater certainty in the workplace for women. In fact,
the argument in favour of GSPs being given special dispensation
is very similar to that made out in the case of environmental
goods and services, where environment is seen as a public good.
At the same time, they noted that expansion of trade has the potential
to create new income and employment opportunities especially for
women.
The two-day Symposium,
organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM),
in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government
of India, was inaugurated by Shri S. B. Mookherjee, Minister of
State for Commerce & Industry, here last evening.
The UNCTAD – UNIFEM
publication titled "Trade and Gender: Evidence from South
Asia" edited by Dr. Veena Jha, Coordinator, UNCTAD India
Programme, was also released by the Minister on the occasion.
The book focusses on three broad issues: key issues in WTO negotiations
that may have gender implications; exploring opportunities for
employment and income generation for women from the WTO agreements;
and examining and mitigating the effects of WTO rules on women
in South Asian countries. Observing that the gender component
relating to commercial diplomacy and its impact has not yet been
given its due, the book, which contains a series of country papers
with studies focussing on sectors having the maximum impact on
livelihood opportunities for women,viz., marine products, textiles/garments/spices
and food processing, observes that the Cancun ministerial was
critical to women as it was centred around agriculture which employs
a large proportion of women in many countries including India.
" Now more than ever before, women from South Asian developing
countries have a unique opportunity to influence the future trade
agenda and to seek economic and developmental gains from further
trade liberalisation. Regional cooperation can be helpful in this
context, as evidenced by the negotiating strength of MERCOSUR,
ASEAN and other such groups. … There is a need to study the gender
effects (of WTO) in a systematic way particularly with a view
to sensitising the trade negotiators. It is also necessary to
provide inputs to national and regional preparations for the next
ministerial conference in Hong Kong", it says.
Ms. Farida Akhtar
of Bangladesh (UBINIG), Ms. Zahra Hayat of Pakistan (Aurat Foundation),
Hiramani Ghimire and Mona Shrestha Adhikari of Nepal (SAWTEE),
and Ms. Anoma Ariyawardana of Sri Lanka (CENWOR), along with several
participants from India including Ms. Rehana Jhabwala of SEWA,
Ms. Indrani Mazumdar, Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS),
Ms. Ranjana Kumari, Council for Social Research (CSR) and Dr.
Poornima Advani, Chairperson, National Commission for Women took
part, besides Ms. Chandni Joshi of UNIFEM and Dr. Veena Jha. Shri
Vinay Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Prof.
N.L. Mitra, Director, National Law University, Jodhpur and Shri
R. Gopalan and Shri Rajeet Mitter, Joint Secretaries in the Trade
Policy Division, Ministry of Commerce, addressed the sessions.
Capacity building
in social infrastructure is needed to enable women to improve
their productivity both in the manufacturing and the rapidly growing
services sector where women are represented in all levels of the
job hierarchy and in this context, market development for GSPs
would be of immense benefit to women. Small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) should also be promoted as important economic agents as
they are major employers of women, the Symposium stressed.
