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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9

Mainstreaming Gender Into Trade And Development Strategies in Africa

Author: Sylvia Maria Booth
Organisation: United Nations
Publish Date: 2008
Country: Africa
Theme: Gender
Type: Other publication
Language: English
Tags: Africa, Gender, United Nations

Trade liberalization is deemed beneficial to a country because it is supposed to lead to growth resulting from a better allocation of resources in the world economy, exchange of knowledge, transfer of technologies and a consequent increase in productivity, as well as the development of human and physical capital. With the expansion of domestic production, income opportunities as a whole generally increase.

Within this context, women can be the winners or losers. Their multiple responsibilities and gender-related constraints, such as a lack of access to productive inputs and resources, can mean that they are not able to seize the opportunities provided by trade expansion to the same degree as men. Despite this, their entrepreneurial spirit has made them particularly active in various sectors of African economies. Given appropriate empowerment and encouragement, they could contribute significantly to economic growth and development on the continent.

In order to promote a mutually supportive, win-win (high growth, low gender inequality) scenario in the context of trade liberalization in Africa, women’s multiple roles, responsibilities and limitations need to be taken into account. This report seeks to provide elements for the construction of just such a scenario, and considers how and why women as a specific target population in sustainable development policies could enhance the effectiveness of trade liberalization policies in a mutually supportive path of development and poverty reduction in Africa.
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