Istanbul, 9 May 2011 - Policies to expand trade and to promote Bhutan´s unique overall goal of maximizing "gross national happiness" should be linked to strategies for educating women and enhancing their positions in society and in the economy, a new UNCTAD study says.
The study, Who is benefiting from trade liberalization in Bhutan? A gender perspective, is one of a series being carried out by the Organization to analyse the gender effects of trade in developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs). Other UNCTAD studies are focusing on situations in LDCs Lesotho, Rwanda and Angola; in Cape Verde, a country that recently graduated from LDC status; and in Uruguay, a developing country that is not an LDC.
The study of Bhutan is to form a basis for discussion at the event entitled "Making trade work for women in LDCs" to be held on 11 May at the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. The event is co-sponsored by UN Women and UNCTAD.
UNCTAD has stressed in recent years that economic growth and increased trade have limited positive effects on people´s overall well-being if such progress is accompanied by rising income inequality, social inequality and the marginalization of vulnerable groups, including women. Income disparities, social inequality and exclusion have increased in a number of countries over the past decade, even in countries that have recorded high rates of growth.
Bhutan has embarked on a unique development strategy aimed at maximizing gross national happiness - a distinctively Bhutanese concept that holistically combines material well-being with more intangible cultural, spiritual and emotional well-being. Any process to spur development by linking the country more thoroughly with the global economy will not be acceptable if it leaves large segments of the population behind and if it is disassociated from traditional values and assets.
Since 65.4 per cent of Bhutan´s work force - and 72.1 per cent of its female work force - is employed in the farming sector, special attention should be paid to the effects of trade in this vital part of the economy, the study says. That is particularly true because food accounts for 40 to 80 per cent of household expenditures in LDCs. The study recommends that Bhutan should preserve some capacity for domestic production, especially that of staple foods. Strategies are needed to meet two compelling needs, namely keeping prices of agriculture and food products affordable - especially for poor households - and ensuring domestic productive capacity. In other words, food security, trade liberalization and agricultural modernization should be pursued harmoniously, the study says. Efforts to improve food production and agricultural exports should be tied to expanding education for women, the report recommends - some 87 per cent of female heads of households in rural areas have not received formal schooling. Further, support for promising concepts such as expanding organic agriculture should include relevant training and agricultural extension work with women, it recommends.
The country´s focus on gross national happiness also could be made a form of national "branding", the report notes. The nation may want to consider strategically positioning its exports and services in high-value markets using geographical indication and trademarks as a source of niche marketing to identify products of Bhutanese origin. However, unlocking such extra value should be tied to passing on increased profits to agricultural and handicraft producers, including the many women who work in those sectors. One of the study´s recommendations is to use a gender perspective when planning extension programmes and other support services for Bhutan´s population.
The study also notes that Bhutan has a strategic commercial interest in preserving its still-dominant organic farming systems - again heavily supported by women. It recommends establishing an accredited national organic standards and certification system and says that at the international level, more aid should be made available to strengthen ecological farming methods and infrastructure.
Women in Bhutan also would benefit from greater support, research, development and marketing that takes into account their role in the production of handicrafts such as handmade textiles; in harvesting forest-based products, such as mushrooms, medical plants and plants used for essential oils; and in the tourism sector, the study notes.
