Tuesday 1 April 2008

WIDE report: EU bilateral and regional free trade agreements and gender

In late 2007 WIDE organised a successful consultation on EU bilateral and regional free trade agreements and gender, which brought together members of WIDE, academics, researchers, non-governmental organisation activists and representatives of the European Commission and the private sector. The aim of the consultation was to increase understanding of the relationship between gender and trade and to provide a space for critical reflection and debate on the opportunities, challenges, strategies and the different policy options relating to trade liberalisation with a gender focus in the context of the ongoing EU bilateral free trade negotiations in Asia, the Middle East, Ukraine and Central America.

As a follow up to the consultation process WIDE has published the report ‘EU bilateral and regional free trade agreements – bringing women to the centre of the debate’, edited by Marilyn Thomson. The report summarises the key debates of the consultation and lists specific demands that were identified to transform EU external relations policies into a development agenda that is truly social and gender just and sustainable.

To download the full report please go to http://www.wide-network.org/index.jsp?id=316
To order a hard copy, contact Lidia at lidia@wide-network.org

To read the latest WIDE monthly newsletter, visit: http://www.wide-network.org/

Information provided by Barbara Specht, WIDE Information and Advocacy Officer

No comments: