The Gender Implications of Trade Liberalization in Southern Africa

Gender is a key factor in the complex relationship among trade, growth and development, yet there is a widespread assumption that trade policies and agreements are class, race and gender neutral. This paper attempts to distil these assumptions and highlights the various aspects of the relationship between gender and trade by focusing on the effect on trade of women engaged in trading activities and the effect of trade on women’s lives. It examines the opportunities and challenges that regional trade arrangements in Southern Africa offer women, as well as WTO instruments that curtail the involvement of women in national economic sectors. It finds that trade policies are in most cases responsible for reducing the policy space of states, thereby rendering them incapable of formulating pro-gender/pro-development policies.

By: Sheila Kiratu and Suryapratim Roy

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