TRADING TO NARROW GENDER GAP

CONVERSATIONS about gender in government policies are never easy—and when they intersect with a country’s trade interests, the challenge becomes even greater.

- INDUC NAIR

India has taken an important step in advancing this dialogue by including a chapter on ‘Trade and gender equality’ in its Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK, signalling a shift towards a gender-responsive and inclusive trade regime.

This is the first time India has included a dedicated provision on gender in the context of a free trade agreement. The chapter provides a framework for identifying constraints faced by women and addressing their specific requirements, enabling equitable access to benefits and opportunities arising from the CETA.

From a broader perspective, this marks a significant policy evolution for India. For years, the country has treated links between inclusivity and trade with caution, concerned that complex compliance burdens could disrupt exports. India refrained from the 2017 World Trade Organization discussions on gender and trade in Buenos Aires, taking a calibrated stand that while it fully supports gender equality, it was not yet ready to integrate it meaningfully into its trade policy.

Since then, however, the global momentum for gender-responsive trade has grown. Today, about 130 WTO members and five observers participate in the WTO informal working group on trade and gender. Data shows 153 countries—developed and developing alike—have signed at least one regional trade agreement containing gender provisions.