Trade and gender group outlines priorities for gender equality work leading to MC14

The 2025-2026 Work Plan reinforces the work initiated at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13), held in Abu Dhabi in 2024. An action plan to support its implementation will be drafted in consultation with members, with clear milestones, targets and activities.

The Work Plan features a detailed compendium mapping all the technical work of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender, as well as a ministerial joint statement by the co-chairs. It also includes ministerial-level deliverables, such as the potential inclusion of a paragraph on women's economic empowerment through trade in the MC14 outcome document.

WTO Symposium on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment

Members also took stock of the WTO Symposium on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment, “Growing economies through trade – empowering women”, which was held on 2 July in cooperation with the IWG co-chairs (Cabo Verde, El Salvador and the United Kingdom).

The event brought together policymakers, researchers and international organizations to explore how trade policy can drive women’s economic empowerment. In her opening address, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala underlined that empowering women in trade is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity, and she called for a modernized multilateral system that better serves women and developing economies. Discussions throughout the day underscored the need to treat gender equality as a core element of trade policy.

Key themes of the symposium included the opportunities and challenges of digitalization, the role of regional trade agreements and the importance of gender-disaggregated data. Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, the United Kingdom  shared national experiences, while institutional initiatives from the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Bank highlighted efforts to make trade more inclusive.

Ambassador Simon Manley of the United Kingdom noted that the experts and researchers who spoke at the symposium encouraged members to ensure that gender is genuinely addressed – not only within the IWG, but also across WTO committees and negotiations more broadly. Looking ahead to MC14, he observed that many members are calling for a renewed commitment to embed gender equality into the multilateral trading system.

International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade

The IWG co-chairs reported on the second edition of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade, which recognises impactful national initiatives that promote gender equality through trade-related policies and programmes. Announced on 2 July during an award ceremony held as part of the WTO Symposium on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment, the winners of the 2025 edition were Brazil for "Elas Exportam", the Dominican Republic for "Service Revolution" and Ghana for the "Inclusive Trade Facilitation Project", with special mentions for Ecuador for the "Safe Company Seal" and Viet Nam for an initiative implemented under the WTO Chairs Programme at Foreign Trade University (WCP–FTU), titled "From Knowledge to Impact: Amplifying Women’s Influence in Trade through WCP-FTU".

Updates by WTO members

The United Kingdom shared findings from a Scottish Government-commissioned report on the gender export gap. The study revealed that only 15 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) led by women in Scotland were engaged in export, fewer than Scottish SMEs led by men (17 per cent). Closing this gap could boost Scotland’s trade revenues by up to GBP 10.4 billion (CHF 11.3 billion) over two years. The research identified key barriers for women, including limited access to finance, lack of mentoring and networks, and a complex support landscape.

Costa Rica also updated members, in its role as the 2025-2026 Chair of the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) – established on the margins of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit – and of ITAG standalone initiative the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA). The ITAG, which was launched in 2018, promotes inclusive trade with a focus on gender equality, support for SMEs, indigenous trade, sustainability and labour issues. The GTAGA advances women’s economic empowerment through joint actions such as data-sharing, policy dialogue and capacity-building.

Key activities included a virtual meeting to adopt priorities, as well as the recent launch of a Trade and Gender Review of Latin America by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Virtual events for government officials will be organized in 2025 and 2026. Costa Rica also outlined plans to standardize accession procedures, and it announced that there will be a GTAGA Day 2026, an in-person capacity-building event.

Ukraine presented its national strategy to advance women’s economic empowerment and integrate gender equality into trade and recovery policies. Measures include targeted support for women-led businesses through mentorship, access to finance, professional training and psychological assistance, as well as programmes to encourage women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors. Ukraine reported that women established 56 per cent of new businesses in 2023, rising to 59 per cent in 2024.

Presentations by international organizations

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) outlined its efforts to promote gender-responsive standards, with a focus on practical tools such as its Gender Action Plan Model Blueprint. This initiative supports institutions in embedding gender considerations into standards, regulations and artificial intelligence (AI) governance. UNECE also emphasized the role of inclusive standards in addressing gender bias in data and design, particularly in emerging technologies like AI.

The International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), a global network of women engaged in all segments of the coffee value chain, presented its work to address gender inequalities in the sector. Representing over 36 national groups and 18,000 members – including farmers, processors, exporters, baristas and entrepreneurs – IWCA outlined the persistent challenges that women face, such as unequal labour distribution, limited income and land ownership, and underrepresentation in leadership. It also presented its 2023-2027 strategic plan, structured around four pillars: organizational development, research and advocacy, impactful programmes and high-impact communications.

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