WTO Advances Trade and Gender Agenda Through New Work Plan and International Recognition of Women’s Initiatives
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Ministry of Women and Child Development
The WTO’s Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender unveiled its 2025–2026 Work Plan, building on commitments made at MC13 in Abu Dhabi in 2024; the plan includes a detailed compendium of technical work, ministerial-level deliverables, and potential inclusion of a women’s economic empowerment paragraph in the MC14 outcome document.
On 2 July, the WTO held a Symposium on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment titled “Growing economies through trade - empowering women.” Participants - including policymakers, researchers, and international organizations - discussed how trade policy can advance women’s economic roles. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that empowering women is a moral and economic imperative and called for a modernized multilateral system that better serves women and developing economies. Key themes included digitalization, regional trade agreements, and gender-disaggregated data; contributions came from Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, the UK, as well as the ITC, FAO, and World Bank.
The release of the second International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade recognized national efforts: Brazil (“Elas Exportam”), Dominican Republic (“Service Revolution”), and Ghana (“Inclusive Trade Facilitation Project”), with special mentions to Ecuador (“Safe Company Seal”) and Vietnam for its WTO Chairs Programme initiative—“From Knowledge to Impact: Amplifying Women’s Influence in Trade through WCP-FTU.”
Relevant question for policy stakeholders: How can India develop and implement a structured trade-and-gender framework - featuring a national work plan, symposia, and recognition of initiatives - to empower women through trade policy and align with global best practices ahead of MC14?
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https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news25_e/women_03jul25_e.htm