Global Issue Paper No. 32
by Rebeca Salazar,
August 2007
» Download the Global Issue Paper No. 32 (94 p., 850 KB, pdf)
» Global Issue Paper No. 32 en español
» Overview Global Issue Papers
Introduction:
Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, there has been a lot of literature written in Mexico and Latin America about the impact of trade agreements and liberalization policies on the evolution of economies and people’s living conditions. Critical analyses done by universities, academic centers, non-governmental and social organizations have come up with a convincing conclusion: trade agreements have not turned out to be instruments for development in these countries; they have not contributed to economic growth, the well being of the population, nor much less to social equity.
Among these critical studies, a central place is occupied by those that emphasize the situation of women and relationships between women and men. Using gender as a category for analysis and as a tool, these studies bring to the surface a part of the reality (for women and men) that when untended becomes permanently invisible in the majority of the studies. This is true both in official and critical examinations of trade liberalization and free trade agreements. Studies undertaken by feminist economists question the very extensive idea that economic and trade policies are neutral with regards to gender and as such, their effects are also neutral. Studies show that inequality between men and women promotes differentiated access to resources, development opportunities, decision making, and finally, to power; consequently, policy formation and the impact of policies is not neutral. Those gender sensitive analyses of trade and financial liberalization and free trade agreements call attention to the need to consider the non-economic aspects involved in starting up free trade agreements and of social differences and inequalities, particularly those that exist between men and women.
This study contributes methodological tools for analyzing free trade agreements (FTA) from a gender perspective and responds to the need to make the differentiated consequences for men and women of adopted trade liberalization policies visible. It also surfaces women’s contributions to the economy and evaluates opportunities and risks that the very functioning of the agreements present for women. The objective of a methodology to analyze free trade agreements from a gender perspective is to proportion tools that give women’s and mixed networks and organizations arguments so they can actively advocate in FTA negotiation processes, or those processes that monitor the FTA’s that are already in place in Latin America.
In recent years, economic issues have become important to the investigations, discussions and interests of women’s movements. This study seeks to respond to the need to circulate information and analysis that responds to women’s interests and supports their participation in FTA negotiations and implementation, as well as subsequent impact analyses. At the same time, the study it seeks to provide background for gender analysis not only for women’s groups but also for mixed gender social organizations and networks. This is important since until now issues of gender equity tend to be dealt with in segregated times, places and environments.
Making a contribution to gender sensitive analysis is oriented at contributing to the formulation of alternative development proposals that put gender equity at their center, an unavoidable component of social equity.