Report of the Expert Meeting on Mainstreaming Gender in Trade Policy,

right, but a crucial factor in generating poverty reduction, economic growth anddevelopment. The importance of gender equality for social and economic development was highlighted in Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3. Women played an important role in contributing to countries’ economic development and better governance, and the well-being of their communities and households. The provision of enhanced opportunities for women led to improvements in poverty reduction and accelerated economic growth.

2. It was noted that trade policies were not “gender-neutral”, but had strong redistributive effects between economic sectors, favouring some economic activities while disfavouring others. Evidence suggested that, in some cases, trade liberalization had been associated with rising employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women. In other cases, trade integration had exacerbated existing gender inequalities and worsened women’s economic and social status. While recognizing that trade had not served as a catalyst for gender equality, some experts raised the problems faced by negotiators to identify gender-sensitive sectors or specific industries.