Trade Agreements not Helping Poor Women Study

Trade Agreements not Helping Poor Women Study

It is commonly argued that cheaper imports reduce poverty in a country because they enable the poor to spend, which in turn boosts the economy.

But new research has cast doubt on this argument, with findings indicating that the majority of women, especially the poor, are unlikely to be able to take advantage of imports resulting from the new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

Carolina Gottardo, Head of Policy and Advocacy at One World Action, which conducted the study with the Commonwealth Secretariat, explains that at first glance cheaper imports – including washing machines and gas cookers – “seem like a fantastic idea, especially for women who bear the brunt of most household duties in the developing world.”

Yet the reality, she says, is that these kind of goods which are affected by the new trade policies, do not benefit poor women.

This article highlights both the need for a gender based approach to trade negations in order for poor women to no longer be excluded from the poverty debate and offers recommendations as to how this can best be achieved. MT.

 To read more, please visit the Pacific Islands News Association.

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