Gender and trade

From 13th to 18th December, 148 world governments will meet in Hong Kong for a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation. In preparation for this event, Banúlacht has prepared a Gender and Trade Briefing Paper. This paper gives a brief overview of the WTO and an analysis of gender and trade issues.

2005 has presented women’s organisations, other NGOs and activist groups with a number of key opportunities to highlight international agreements on women’s human rights, make connections between women’s activism in Ireland and the South, and challenge governments on their implementation of commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In March, the 10-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action was held at the UN. In September, 170 world leaders gathered at the UN for a World Summit to review the Millennium Development Goals. And in December, the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will be held in Hong Kong.

Of all of these international fora, it is the WTO meeting that will arguably have the greatest impact on the lives and livelihoods of women in the South. Yet gender equality and gender empowerment will not be on the WTO’s agenda in Hong Kong.

Trade and Development

In 2001 the members of the WTO agreed the Doha Development Declaration, which states that ‘the majority of WTO members are developing countries. We seek to place their needs and interests at the heart of the Work Programme adopted in this Declaration’. Banúlacht is a member of Trade Matters, a coalition of development NGOs and Trade Unions which campaigns for fundamental changes to world trade rules so that trade will work for everyone. Trade Matters has produced a briefing paper for Hong Kong outlining what it would mean to put development at the heart of the WTO.

Write to the ministers

Use Banúlacht’s sample letter or your write your own letter to urge the Irish government to stand by its word and ensure that the agreements reached at the WTO do not undermine the Beijing Platform for Action. Click here to take action.

Send a card to An Taoiseach

Trade Matters and the Make Poverty History Campaign are looking for thousands of supporters to send a Christmas card with a difference to An Taoiseach. The card, which will be available for free nationwide, will call on the government to help to make trade rules fairer when they attend the World Trade Organisation meeting in December.

For information on where to get your card, visit the Make Poverty History website or write to card@makepovertyhistory.ie.