Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA) work plan 2022-2024

Action Items:

1. Share information and best practices on promoting women’s participation and retention in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related export industries.

Lead: New Zealand

STEM provides the opportunity to generate new research and trade opportunities in goods and services sectors that are increasingly important in an evolving global marketplace. Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM-related industries and do suffer from a persistent gender pay gap. Enhancing opportunities for women to participate more fully in STEM-related industries is another way to improve women’s economic empowerment. STEM has been identified as a cooperation focus for GTAGA activities.     

Objectives:

• To share information and show-case best practices/lessons learned from senior women business leaders in export industries related to STEM, with a view to supporting and encouraging more women into STEM fields in which women are often underrepresented (and to best ensure retention).
• To welcome new economies into the GTAGA.
• To ensure participation from a wide set of economies including both GTAGA and non-GTAGA audiences. 

Format:

• The event will be run on a virtual platform, with a full recording subsequently available.
• This would largely be a private-sector focused event, with a range of speakers from GTAGA economies. The audience would be from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and government and intergovernmental, from GTAGA and non-GTAGA economies. It would be open to the public.
• There will be the opportunity for interaction and audience question and answer session with panelists.

Deliverable/expected results:

• Successful event encouraging more women to participate in STEM-related export industries and fostering new connections between women in STEM and those considering STEM opportunities.
• Event materials (video and report) available for online audiences.

2. Panel discussion on making the shift to digital

Lead: Canada

Digital trade plays an important role in gender empowerment as it helps to increase financial independence and job opportunities. A 2018 PayPal Inc. study found that digital trade/e-commerce tools play a pivotal role in closing revenue gaps and increasing the earnings potential of women entrepreneurs. However, a digital divide continues to exist where women entrepreneurs using digital platforms face barriers, such as securing capital/investors. It is crucial for governments to involve women entrepreneurs and investors in policy making around digital trade.

Objectives:

• discuss the benefits and opportunities, as well as challenges, of using digital trade/e-commerce.
• share recommendations and tips on how women entrepreneurs can make the digital shift
• enable women to play a leading role in the digital revolution.

Format:

• Webinar with both business women who have digitalized and government officials.
• Open to the public.

Deliverable/expected results:

• Successful videoconference inspiring business women to take the leap and go digital

3. Webinar on Trade and Gender and Financing

Lead: TBC

Objectives:

• To exchange information on various business development (including venture capital/angel investors) and export financing instruments available for women-owned businesses in Canada, Chile, Mexico and New Zealand.
• Hear from businesses about gaps in these instruments.
• Ensure that stakeholders are aware of the range of tools available

Implementation Plan:

• Webinar in order to engage stakeholders and women-owned business and associations

Deliverable/Expected Results:

• Information made available to stakeholders online

4. Training/webinar on how to ensure gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the private sector as part of their Responsible Business Conduct strategy

Lead: Chile

Objective:

• Encourage and help enterprises to incorporate into their internal policies internationally recognised standards, guidelines, and principles that address gender equality as it is part of RBC.

Format:

• Training session delivered by government officials, international organizations (e.g. OECD) and experts on advancing gender equality and inclusion in firms and businesses with good practices (e.g., Catalyst)
• Audience would be businesses operating in Canada, Chile, Mexico and New Zealand

Deliverable:

• A step-by-step guide for businesses on how to incorporate these guidelines into their RBC strategy

5. Building your network: Strategies for women entrepreneurs

Lead: Canada

Objective:

Women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often lack access to a range of important inputs to ensure a strong and growing company, including networks, mentors, accelerators and incubators. The objective of this webinar will be to:

• Exchange experience/advice/tips on how to build strategic partnerships and networks to accelerate their company’s local and international success.
• Explore social media best practices business women can leverage to grow their network online.

Format:

• Webinar with successful business women – talking about their experience building a network.
• Representatives of accelerators or incubators to advise on how women can best use their services
• Open to the public.

Deliverable/expected results:

• Successful videoconference inspiring business women to build a stronger network.

6. Panel discussion on better data – what gets measured gets improved

Lead: New Zealand

One of the fundamental challenges of addressing gender equality issues in trade (and elsewhere) is understanding the magnitude and drivers of the challenges that women face. Gender disaggregated data has not routinely been well-captured in the trade space and the distribution of women as employees and owners of trading firms is not well understood. Improving the quality of data and analysis will enhance the effectiveness and efficacy of policies aimed at improving women’s economic empowerment.

Objectives:

• Discuss the data collection and analytical challenges relating to gender disaggregated analysis
• Identify areas where data collection could be improved
• Identify and disseminate methods for improving trade and gender analysis
• Share insights on how to turn data driven insights into actionable policies for improving women’s economic empowerment

Format:

• Webinar for statisticians, economists and other technical experts involved in trade and gender data collection and analysis, and for the officials who translate these insights into policies
• Share case studies of trade and gender analysis (e.g. NZ could talk about firm-level data and its application, Canada could share work e.g. using gender disaggregated data in computable general equilibrium (CGE).
• Panel discussion on gender disaggregated data collection and analytical approaches in trade

7. GTAGA expansion:

Lead: All

Objective:

• Bring more economies on board

Tactics:

• Raise GTAGA during bilateral meetings at Ministerial, Vice-Ministerial, Ambassador levels
• Provide presentations on GTAGA to interested economies
• Invite economies who have already shown interest in GTAGA as silent observers to a GTAGA activity
• Prepare activities (panel, workshop, webinar, etc.) to raise awareness on GTAGA

Deliverable/expected results:

• More economies to join GTAGA

8. GTAGA Three Year Review

Lead:  All

Objective: 

• As committed to in the GTAGA, conduct a three-year effectiveness review of GTAGA in order to learn lessons, take stock and determine a renewed way forward if necessary.

Tactics:

• Discuss among GTAGA members a way to conduct the three-year review
• Discuss timing of publication
• Discuss intent of the review

Deliverable:

• Three-year review report published online.