Gender Equity in International Trade: Public Policies and Experiences in Latin America

In 2024, Rio de Janeiro hosted the primary forum for global economic cooperation, bringing together the 20 largest economies in the world (G-20). One of the strategic topics discussed was Women and International Trade, acknowledging that globalization has not provided equal benefits for men and women due to economic barriers and restricted access to resources. Reports from international organizations such as UNCTAD (2011, 2022) and UN Women (2020) underscore the need for gender-sensitive redistributive trade policies, fostering women's empowerment and mitigating the unequal effects of trade, in alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality, incorporates the concept of gender economy, recognizing that women engage in significantly more unpaid labor, such as caregiving, limiting their availability in the labor market and financial autonomy. In 2010, the OECD launched the Gender Initiative to identify barriers to gender equality in markets. Similarly, in 2016, UNCTAD deliberated on policies to increase women's participation in trade at the XIV United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Furthermore, the WTO addressed gender inclusivity in multilateral trade agreements with the Joint Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment in 2017, involving 126 countries and promoting gender-responsive trade policies. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Montevideo Strategy (2019) was established to implement these global commitments, aligning regional goals with the UN's Agenda 2030. In this context, the research addresses the question: What public policies have been implemented in Latin America to promote women's economic empowerment in accessing international markets? The primary objective is to map and analyze these policies' scope, structure, and strategies. Specific objectives include examining gender progress within trade agreements and identifying global best practices promoting equity in international trade. The research employs a multiple-case study approach, analyzing programs in selected Latin American countries based on the following criteria: participation in international agreements promoting gender, alignment with Agenda 2030 (SDGs 5 and 8), and involvement in the Global Arrangement on Trade and Gender. The selected countries are Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. This analysis incorporates specialized literature, reports from organizations such as the World Bank, UNCTAD, WAIPA, UN Women, and CEPAL, as well as data from the GATE System and ITC SheTrades, which monitor relevant global and regional programs. This research seeks to fill theoretical and empirical gaps related to the lack of systematic mapping and quantitative and qualitative analyses of public policies in Latin America that promote gender equity in international trade. Additionally, it provides evidence to support policymakers in designing and evaluating gender-sensitive public policies, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs under the 2030 Agenda.