Quick win No. 7

Increase contributions centered on better data on trade and gender, including improved data collection methodologies, promoting knowledge sharing and best practices, and encouraging evidence-based policy design.

The efficiency of trade policy depends on how well trade parameters and trade constraints are incorporated into its design. This meansthat to have a trade policy that has a positive effect on gender disparities, there needs to be appropriate data and an understanding of the effect of certain policies in particular circumstances.

Since the 2017 Buenos Aires Declaration, there has been significant progress in creating gendered data. However, most countries do not have comprehensive data on women and trade and therefore the effect of trade policy on gender is unclear. There is growing interest from countries and organizations in the collection of gender-disaggregated data, and some are piloting new methodologies. However, this requires a more systemic approach to ensure that the benefits of data collection are factored into trade policy settings.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)research highlights the complexities facing many countries that wish to develop gender-responsive trade policies to address existing inequalities, but lacks specific data that reflects the different types of inequalities women face as producers, consumers, employees or entrepreneurs.

Data is important for the development of trade policy. It is as crucial when designing technical assistance programs in order to monitor and assess the impact of trade agreements, as well as the accompanying assistance in the implementation process. Some organizations have even suggested that trade agreements could include specific commitments around the collection and exchange of gender specific data, impact assessment activities, and cooperation. It is recommended that the WTO Working Group on Trade and Gender promote the following specific actions:

Data collection

There needs to be an increase in the collection, analysis and transparency of trade and gender data. Countries need to invest more resources to develop new databases to understand linkages between trade and gender equality. There should also be more transparency on such initiatives, including by promoting access to data, the exchange of best practices among countries, country groups and international organizations, and support for researchers who seek to pilot new methodologies in gender data collection.

Mainstream gender as a part of TRTA

Different trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) programs, including Aid for Trade, should aim to collect and better analyze data on trade and gender. This should be a cornerstone in the design of the TRTA interventions and included as part of the impact assessment of individual TRTA. The impact of TRTA on gender should also be followed throughout the implementation of technical assistance.

Gender and trade policy formation

A gender dimension should be included in trade policy formulation. Countries should improve the use of available trade and gender research in the formulation of trade policies, particularly in sectors where women are underrepresented. New data should inform the design of trade or trade-related policies. 13 It is through actions such as these that trade policy design can be improved and its impact on gender analyzed, assessed, and taken into account.