WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2016
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Empowering Women Through Inclusive Trade: A Discussion on Gender, Trade and the 2030 Agenda.
This session focuses on women's economic empowerment as a prerequisite for the achievement of Agenda 2030, and touches on a range of critical issues and questions for achieving inclusive trade.
SMEs generate approximately 50% of global GDP and 70% of employment. The benefits of trade to SMEs and women-owned businesses are significant – and similarly, benefits to the economy from more SMEs and women engaging in international trade. Advancing women's equality could add $28 trillion to global GDP by 2025 enabling economies to unlock their full potential. A significant proportion of these SMEs are owned by women, and yet they comprise only 1 in 5 exporting companies.
A diverse range of panellists will take part in a Davos-style thought-provoking conversation about how women are shaping the new face of trade. What are the binding constraints that hamper women entrepreneurs from accessing markets, compared to their male counterparts? Are the private sector and governments doing enough to overcome these constraints and support inclusiveness in business? Is there enough fresh thinking in trade policies and technological investment to connect women to markets? What gaps still persist?Speakers
- Hamish McCormick, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Australian Permanent Mission in Geneva
- Rose Maghas, Managing Director at GreenBell Communications Ltd, Kenya
- Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre
- Sharlene Gawi, Head of Papua New Guinea Bilum Association, Papua New Guinea
- Adriana Rodrigues, Business Manager, Apex-Brasil, Brazil
- Susan Barton, Trade and Gender lead, UK Department for International Development