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Date Added to
Site: 9th March 2004 |
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Short Summary
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| Title |
What Does the Collapse of the Cancun Ministerial
Mean for Women’s Rights in Development? Final Reflections on the World
Trade Organization’s 5th Ministerial Conference |
| Author |
Symington, A. |
| Publication
Date |
October 2003 |
| Publisher |
Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) |
| Donor |
Association of Women’s Rights in Development
(AWID) |
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Short Summary |
The most significant outcome of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, according to this paper,
is a challenge to the supremacy of the 'superpowers' from the strong
alliances forged by developing countries. The South found a voice
and leadership to advance its own interests, such as to push for the
reduction of domestic agricultural subsidies in rich countries. But
what did the talks and their collapse mean for the fight for gender
equality? The paper concludes that gender was “everywhere and nowhere”
at the WTO. Trade policy always impacts on women's rights and gender
equality. Yet in official spaces of the Conference gender analysis
and gender-sensitive proposals were largely absent. The official line
is that economic growth through export expansion is the solution to
women's poverty - with safety nets to ease the transition towards
trade liberalisation. Gender equality advocates came together in a
Women's Forum for two days before the Conference and a Women's Caucus
area in the peasant encampment. This provided space to share experiences
under free trade regimes, to discuss the WTO agenda and tactics. Advocates
need to now take stock of what strategies were effective. In doing
so, they need to be aware of their own positions, privileges and disadvantages,
as well as their allies and detractors. The paper recommends that
gender equality advocates should direct advocacy and research towards
presenting actionable alternatives and critical analysis of trade
policies. |
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