Last update: 10 March 2009

Palais des Nations - Room XXVI

	Morning 10:00 - 13:00	Afternoon 15:00 - 18:00
	Opening Session   Opening statement by Dr. Supachai, Secretary-General of UNCTAD Item 1: Election of officers Item 2: Adoption of the agenda and organization of work   Item 3: Mainstreaming gender in trade policy   Keynote Address by Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle, Permanent Secretary for International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, St. Kitts and Nevis   Session 1:   Item 3: (continued) Understanding the correlation between trade and gender   The main objective of this session is to discuss why trade and gender are two interrelated issues. Globalization and trade liberalization generate complex and often contradictory effects on women´s access to employment, livelihood and income. In some cases, trade liberalization has been associated with rising employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women. In other cases, it has exacerbated existing gender inequalities and worsened women´s economic and social status. Clearly, trade policies have impacts on women as a discrete segment of the population. Yet trade policies have long been gender-blind.   Presentations: Ms. Lakshmi Puri, Acting Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD and Director, Division on International Trade and Commodities Ms. Nicola Jones, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute – ODI, London, UK Interactive debate	Session 2:   Item 3: (continued) The main links between trade and gender   Trade affects gender mainly through labor markets, small-scale enterprises, agricultural production and migration. Labor markets International trade tends to increase the availability of formal jobs in developing countries. A large number of women have benefitted from new employment opportunities with related benefits in terms of empowerment and improved social status. However, women often remain low wage earners in the pool of unskilled workers. From a policy perspective, it is crucial to assure that women meet the skills sought by the market in order to fully benefit from the employment opportunities arising from trade integration. Small-scale enterprises While trade integration may offer opportunities for small enterprises to grow, it also exposes them to international competition. Small enterprises generally operate in protected markets and the increase in foreign competition means that they are forced to grow and/or upgrade technologically. However, women often have less access to marketing networks, credit and technical knowledge, all of which are essential to improve small enterprises´ competitiveness. Agriculture Conceptually international trade provides opportunities for growing more profitable crops, thus facilitating the switch from staple agriculture to cash crops. In practice, trade liberalization has been shown to reduce subsistence where farmers are able to adapt to new farming products and techniques. As women working in agriculture are largely small-scale farmers with limited access to credit, knowledge and agricultural inputs, they are the most disadvantaged by the liberalization of the agricultural markets. The switch to export-oriented cash crops is to be set against the current situation of food insecurity, especially in Africa. Migration Half of international migrants are women. The marginality of unskilled migrant women is often reflected in low-status jobs, low earnings, poor working conditions and insecure contracts. However, migration generally helps women in raising their autonomy and social status. Women are the largest senders and recipients of remittances, which are an important capital source for developing countries.   Presentations: Ms. Gabriele Köhler, Regional Advisor on Social Policy, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal Ms. Owanari B. Duke, Executive Director, Empretec, Nigera Ms. Soledad Salvador, Research Fellow, Interdisciplinary Center for Development Studies - CIEDUR, Montevideo - Uruguay Ms. Peju Olukoya, Gender Mainstreaming Coordinator, Department of Gender and Women’s Health, World Health Organization - WHO, Geneva, Switzerland Interactive debate
	Session 3:   Item 3: (continued) Mainstreaming gender in trade policy: from theory to practice   This session provides the opportunity for an exchange of views and experiences on the specific strategies and policy measures that countries have put in place to mainstream gender in trade policy, including by: Referring to gender in the text of trade agreements. Conducting gender assessments of trade agreements. Including gender and trade in their technical cooperation activities. Presentations: Ms. Rashmi Banga, Senior Economist, UNCTAD Project on Strategies and Preparedness for Trade and Globalization in India, New Delhi, India Ms. Dorothy Tembo, Executive Director, Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced Integrated Framework, Geneva, Switzerland Ms. Heather Gibb, Senior Researcher, The North-South Institute, Ottawa, Canada Interactive debate	Session 3: (continued)   Presentations: Ms. Sonia Montaño, Chief, Women and Development Unit, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean - ECLAC, Santiago, Chile Ms. Socorro L. Reyes, Chief, Asia-Pacific and Arab States, UNIFEM, New York, USA Interactive debate   Session 4:   Item 3: (continued) The way forward   This session aims to develop a consensus on the way forward, to help advance the understanding of the links between trade and gender and to enhance policy advocacy to make gender mainstreaming a reality at the multilateral and national levels. The session also aims to identify gaps and areas for further work.   Chairman´s summary of discussions and interactive debate   CLOSING PLENARY   Item 4: Adoption of the outcome of the meeting