Making space for women, gender and Pacific perspectives in the PACER Plus negotiations – Claire Rowland

The absence of women from decision making in various arenas is a recurring theme on this website.  Another ‘where are the women‘ example that is concerning IWDA at the moment is the negotiation of new trade arrangements in the Pacific, known as PACER Plus.

IWDA’s Executive Director, Jane Sloane, was recently in Vanuatu at a conference on Pacific women in business. Also at the conference was Claire Rowland, one of IWDA’s intrepid Pacific Program Managers.

Claire Rowland - IWDA Overseas Program Manager

I thought the conference was pretty amazing – 50 business women from the region talking of struggling against discriminatory policies and unsupportive governments to create businesses for themselves, their families and their communities. The women got really fired up talking about the gendered impacts of trade.  Most hadn’t heard about the proposed Pacific trade agreement and how it might affect them, and were demanding to know what the gender impacts were likely to be and how they could influence the negotiation process.

Women from around the region decided to form their own women in business groups at national level and try to influence their government’s approach.  Basically, there are no pathways for them to be heard at the moment.  I was disappointed but not surprised that the business women said consistently that their governments largely ignore them  they are not consulted on any trade or economic policy, even by the consultants preparing research into the potential benefits and impacts. Whilst men are more likely to be consulted, they don’t always have opportunities to contribute either – there are very few opportunities for community input on trade negotiations that will have wide-ranging impacts on the region’s economies and societies.

One of the issues is the resourcing of the trade negotiation units in each country – with a very small number of staff often negotiating a number of trade agreements concurrently, it is hardly surprising consultations are not top on their agenda. With minimal resources, and limited knowledge of how trade will affect women and men in their own countries, I find it hard to imagine how these negotiations will produce genuine development outcomes for Pacific people.

The resounding demand I heard from the women was “we want to be heard”.  And I think organisations like IWDA have an important role in supporting these women’s right to call for change in their countries.  We have a role in calling on our own government, as a key negotiating partner, to match its stated commitment to promoting “genuine development” in the Pacific Islands through PACER Plus with action – most particularly by making sure Pacific people, women and men, have enough space and resources to decide the type of trade relations that are in their best long-term interest.

AusAID provided funding for this Economic Opportunities for Pacific Women in Business conference, which was an important start.  The Australian Government now needs to promote the value of Pacific women’s voices in the negotiations themselves; mainstreaming gender into all aid for trade activities and trade-related research; and allow time for real national-level consultation – with women and men in business and in their communities. Supporting this process without creating a conflict of interest as the key negotiating partner in the trade negotiation process will be a challenge, but given the Australian Government is also a key provider of development assistance in the region, it is one that it needs to meet.

The Pacific Islands Forum encouraged women’s groups to organise and to be represented in regional trade meetings   which is important.  But the frustration around the room was palpable: “if our governments don’t listen to us in our own countries, how can we expect them to listen to us in regional forums?” Women from around the region were saying clearly that their own governments need to be listening to women as a first point of call.

Trade liberalisation will have different impacts on women and men because they have different access to and control of economic and social resources – in the Pacific and elsewhere.  Governments – and their constituents   need to understand how the potential costs and benefits of PACER Plus are likely to effect women and men, and whether the arrangements are likely to deepen or reduce existing gender inequalities, so that governments can anticipate and develop strategies to avoid or address such impacts, and ultimately decide whether the free trade model of development works for the Pacific Islands.

Giving women a voice on trade, and analysing and addressing potential gender impacts are not optional extras!

Claire Rowland
IWDA Overseas Program Manager

Tags: Economic Justice, Pacific

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 28th, 2010 under Advocacy, Economic Justice, Media, Programs, Recent.