USAID WEE CoP Learning Event: The Nexus of Trade and Gender Equality (October 2022)

On October 4, 2022, the USAID Women's Economic Empowerment Community of Practice (USAID WEE CoP) hosted ‘The Nexus of Trade and Gender Equality,’ a peer learning event focused on policies, data, and actions for improving gender integration to trade. Over 150 attendees from 30 countries joined this virtual event, including USAID WEE CoP members and stakeholders. Presenters and panelists focused on how women are affected by trade and trade policy and, in turn, how economies are improved with women’s increased participation in trade. Thanks to all who attended this wonderful conversation!

A special thank you to the speakers and panelists, which included Jamila Thompson, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Trade Representative, who briefed the audience on President Biden’s  2022 Trade Policy Agenda; and Deborah Winkler, Senior Economist, World Bank Group, who presented an analysis based on data from the Women and Trade: The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality report. Event panelists included Judith Fessehaie, Senior Programme Officer at the International Trade Centre (ITC) who spoke on how the ITC is implementing lessons learned from data; Ann Dela Apekey, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Manager of the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (WATIH); and Kafui Djonou, Senior Project Management Specialist, Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative of the WATIH who both spoke on the different facets of implementing gender equality in trade in West Africa.

For more resources on the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and worker-centered trade:

• Strategic Plan FY 2022 - FY 2026 forUSTR. See Goal 4: Developing equitable trade policy through inclusive processes (page 14)
• The Investigation of Trade Distribution Effects on Workers and Underserved Communities being conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission  

For more information on the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) work on gender and trade:

• From Design to Evaluation: Making Trade Policy Work for Women guide for policymakers and trade practitioners
• Inclusive trade: SheTrades initiative with background on SheTrade’s projects and publications 

Please refer to the links below for more information on resources developed by the World Bank:

• Women and Trade: The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality report  
• Gender Disaggregated Labor Database: Data, Tools, and Guidance aims to fill gaps in global gender data

Access more information here on the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (WATIH):

WATIH two-page activity overview, WATIH USAID Fact Sheet, and USAID WATIH webpage