Women and the Global Marketplace: Policy Forum
From Canada to Cambodia and more, policy-makers in this online edition share inspiration to integrate women in pro-poor national development frameworks.
Cambodians make a forceful case for coordination between ministries and responsible stakeholders. Canada’s push for equality is backed by research showing that equal opportunity could bring the country $168 billion more in income, an extra 1.6 million jobs for women and a whopping 21% increase in its Gross Domestic Product. Similarly, Ugandans just revisited their National Export Strategy to leverage the power of women to generate wealth and fight poverty.
Reducing poverty can only happen with sustainable revenue that comes from trade, not aid. A hidden key to success in least developed countries is to get the trade diagnostics right – and identify trade constraints specific to women. The Enhanced Integrated Framework offers a means of addressing such constraints, weaving solutions into national development plans.
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Dorothy Tembo |
World’s Poorest Countries Integrating Trade and Development Policy
The Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (EIF) brings together six international agencies to help least developed countries integrate trade capacity building in national development strategies.
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Illustration by Giles Kershaw |
Strong Women, Strong World
By Clare Beckton, Coordinator, Status of Women Canada
By involving women in national economic policy, Canada is forging a model for empowering women and building the strength of domestic and global marketplaces. Women are stepping forward as never before. They are becoming leaders, financial managers, business strategists, risk-takers and entrepreneurs.
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Note: Boundaries, names
and designations used do not imply endorsement or acceptance by the International Trade Centre. |
Trade Policy Cambodia
By Dr Kantha Phavi Ing, Minister for Women's Affairs in Cambodia
By incorporating gender equality into trade policy, Cambodia is empowering women and boosting national economic performance. French poet and writer Louis Aragon once said, “Woman is the future of man”, expressing his vision of a society that allows women to be more in charge of its destiny. It sounds so inspirational, but can it be realized?
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Himanshu Bhatia co-founder
Rose International |
Good Business – The Potential of Women-owned Enterprises
By Elizabeth Vazquez, WEConnect International, Joan Kerr AT&T
Global corporations are learning that buying from businesses owned by women is vital for economic growth. Initiatives like WEConnect International are providing the essential link.
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Note: Boundaries, names
and designations used do
not imply endorsement
or acceptance by the
International Trade Centre. |
“Engendering” Uganda’s National Export Strategy
By Owen Skae, ITC
Uganda is changing its policies and planning to bring women closer to the heart of export strategy. While women own about 40% of private businesses in Uganda and some 30% of women in business are exporting, women’s role in socio-economic development is still seen to be peripheral.
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© ITC Women Thrive 2008 |
Advising Policy, Alleviating Poverty
By Rita Sharma Fox, Women Thrive
In the current financial crisis, governments need to provide opportunities for women living in poverty by including them in policy dialogue.
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Lifting Liberia, Lifting the World
By Sarah Ellis and Sabine Meitzel, ITC
In many nations, the fight against poverty is both an ethical issue and a security imperative. Women leaders are convening in Liberia to commit to action to empower women at all levels to become effective leaders as it contributes to peace and international security - the precondition for development and poverty reduction.
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