Ahead of the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Gender and Trade Coalition, a global alliance of international and regional feminist networks and progressive allies across civil society, academia and trade unions, has released a letter to the Member States and Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to address 'gender issues' in the WTO in an alternative manner that advances feminist trade analysis and advocates for equitable trade policy.
The statement focuses on the issues with the current paradigm of trade liberalization under the WTO which has adversely affected women's rights in the field of agriculture, health and vaccine equity, critical public services, e-commerce and digital labor. It goes on to add how WTO rules have blocked policy space for autonomous development to meet broader development objectives such as income, food and health security, and digital infrastructure capabilities.
The 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO is scheduled to begin on 26th February, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Read the full statement here.