The co-chairs of the Informal Working Group (IWG), Ambassador Clara Delgado of Cabo Verde, Ambassador Patricia Benedetti of El Salvador, and Ambassador Simon Manley of the United Kingdom, reviewed significant achievements in 2024. They emphasized the inclusion of trade and gender language in the Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration WT/MIN(24)/DEC, introduced a new trade policy tool to aid women entrepreneurs' financial inclusion, and noted progress on "sharing experiences" regarding gender-responsive trade policymaking.
Progress was also made in integrating gender issues into various World Trade Organization (WTO) bodies' work, such as the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
Members welcomed the co-chairs' initiative to begin consultations on the IWG's work plan for 2025-26, including potential outcomes at the 14th Ministerial Conference scheduled for March 2026. They also agreed to launch the second edition of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade to support members' efforts toward inclusive trade. Applications are now open via an online form.
The United Kingdom presented its work on implementing gender equality in free trade agreements (FTAs), including those with New Zealand and Japan. The UK highlighted that mainstreaming gender across trade agreements is important. Cooperation provisions are essential for collecting gender-disaggregated data and monitoring trade agreements' impact on women. It is crucial to establish an institutional mechanism for discussing and implementing cooperation activities with stakeholders like trade associations and women entrepreneurs.
Australia introduced its "International Gender Equality Strategy for a Safer and More Prosperous Indo-Pacific and the World," developed after consulting over 600 stakeholders. This strategy aims to support gender equality in WTO commitments and other international organizations.
Mexico reported on a recent capacity-building workshop on trade and gender organized by Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA) countries in coordination with the WTO Secretariat. The event gathered experts, government representatives, academics, and women entrepreneurs to explore challenges and opportunities in mainstreaming gender into global trade.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) updated on the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund launched at MC13. This WTO-ITC initiative will offer grants and technical assistance concerning digital trade to boost export growth in women-led businesses. Following a call for applications in September 2024, business support organizations will be announced in early March.
The WTO Secretariat provided updates on its activities, emphasizing training programs, collaborative research projects, and outreach initiatives. It highlighted progress in capacity-building initiatives with partners like the Latin American Integration Association, FAO, and various universities. A thematic course on trade, gender, and agriculture will launch with FAO in 2025 following a WTO-FAO Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024.
The Trade and Gender Office noted its collaboration with CEDAW's Secretariat on drafting General Recommendation number 40 regarding women's access to decision-making positions.