Trade can affect men and women differently so the impacts of trade policies on women as entrepreneurs, workers and consumers needs to be better understood. Trade lowers prices, benefitting low-income households where women are disproportionately found, while trade facilitation particularly benefits women-owned businesses, which tend to be smaller and less well-financed than those owned by men. Assessing the impact of market opening under trade agreements requires an understanding of the sectors in which women work and own businesses. The OECD has developed a new framework to help countries understand the gender impacts of their trade policies and to help guide efforts to promote women’s engagement in trade and trade policy-making.
Inclusive trade
International trade is a major driver of economic growth: exporting firms earn higher profits, pay higher wages, and grow faster than non-exporting firms. Yet these benefits are not evenly distributed. Ensuring that businesses led by women, Indigenous People, and other historically disadvantaged groups are able to benefit from the opportunities provided by international trade will contribute to greater societal equality and higher economic growth.
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