Canada-EU work plan for implementing CETA Trade and Gender recommendation

Activity items:

1. Conduct a joint environmental scan of national and international events, initiatives,  and research related to trade and gender (point 2 of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To increase awareness of planned trade and gender activities in which we can participate or benefit from; identify gaps and opportunities (including, opportunities for face-to-face meetings)
• To learn about activities happening around the world and ensure that we stay current on the latest issues, developments and progress on research.

Implementation plan:

• Each Party will conduct their own search and share Word documents by email and merge into a single document (based on a simple common format)

Deliverable/expected results:

• An evergreen table/document that provides an ongoing list of events, initiatives and research

2. Presentation by Canada and EU on current domestic programming and policies that support women’s economic empowerment and gender equality  (point 2 of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To exchange information, lessons learned and best practices

Implementation plan:

• Video conference (or webinar) presentation by each side
• Exchange decks, briefs, placemats and other relevant documentation on policies and program
• Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGEC)  to present on Canada’s  gender equality results framework, gender budgeting, and some of the key federal initiatives

Deliverable/expected results:

• Successful video conference
• Summary report of discussion/ppt presentations

3. Exchange of information on policies and programs that support women entrepreneurs from both a domestic and international point of view (point 2 of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To increase understanding and awareness of the ecosystem of support for business women in the EU and Canada, as well as characteristics of businesswomen in both Parties
• To provide information to share with women owned/led businesses and support the growth of women entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities of CETA

Implementation plan:

• Video conference (or webinar) presentation by each side
• Exchange decks, briefs, placemats and other relevant documentation on policies and programs

Deliverable/expected results:

• Successful video conference
• Summary report of discussion/ppt presentations

4. Exchanging experience and best practices for conducting gender-based analysis of trade agreements and policies (point 4a of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To better understand the impact of trade on women’s participation in the economy and gender equality
• To share experiences on conducting gender-based analysis of trade agreements on both an ex ante and ex post basis.  Lessons learned, best practices, challenges and next steps
• Discuss how to take gender-based analysis and have it influence the development of gender responsive trade policy and provisions in a trade agreement

Implementation plan:

• Each party to share their gender-based analysis guidance documents for trade agreements as well as examples of analysis done
• Video conference (or webinar) presentation by each side

Deliverable/expected results:

• Improved knowledge of how to conduct GBA of FTAs
• Develop a lessons learned document that can be shared jointly

5. Sharing methods and procedures for the collection of gender-disaggregated data, the use of indicators,  monitoring and evaluation methodologies, and the analysis of gender-focused statistics related to trade (point 4b of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To better understand the impact of trade on gender equality and women’s participation in the economy
• To better understand how to assess the impact of impact of trade agreements on gender equality
• Discuss methodologies on  how to use social and labour stats and cross-reference them with business data in a way that allows for analysis of the  characteristics  of workers in businesses affected by trade
• Discuss (new) ways of doing surveys to gather information on women participation in trade and barriers they face
• Exchange experiences on identifying and developing data for indicators of gender and trade
• Exchanging experiences (including challenges and successes) on possibilities for systematic gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis related to trade

Implementation plan:

•  Video Conference  or face to face meetings in Canada and/or the EU

Deliverable/expected results:

• Exchange information on what data in relation to trade and gender is being collected and how, challenges encountered and how addressing them
• Develop data inventory and identify gaps
• Exchange information on surveys conducted on women participation in trade
• Successful video conference
• Summary report of the discussion

6. Exchange ideas and experiences on developing gender responsive trade agreements (point 4c of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To develop gender responsive trade agreements and use trade agreements as a tool to advance gender equality
• To identify the opportunity to develop new gender responsive provisions in  trade agreements and new provisions in trade and gender chapters
• To identify gaps and opportunities to do more gender responsive provisions in FTAs
• To consider what more can be done within trade agreements to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality

Implementation plan:

• Starting with Canada and EU trade agreements,  review all Trade and Gender chapters and gender responsive provisions to identify best practices and opportunities to do more
• Video Conference  or face to face meetings in Canada and/or the EU

Deliverable/expected results:

• Compendium of current and potential gender responsive trade agreements provisions (EU to share in July 2019  with Canada results of project with ITC on existing gender provisions in trade agreements

7. Report on the  activities  (point 8 of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To exchange ideas on the format/content of the report on the activities by the contact points

Deliverable/expected results:

• Report on the activities

8. Exchange of information on policies and programs that support women entrepreneurs and increase participation (point 2 of recommendation)

Objectives:

• To increase understanding and awareness on what are the barriers to entry that women face and what can we do to increase participation. Opportunity to share experiences and successes
• To exchange ideas on what kind of events and activities the EU or Canada could support
• To discuss what types of support women entrepreneurs need to take advantage of CETA and how these challenges can be addressed in CETA governance

Implementation plan:

•  Canada-EU Workshop in Brussels

Deliverable/expected results:

• Summary report of discussion