Feminism, Free Trade, and Policy Frameworks: How Could a German Feminist Trade Policy Contribute to Fair North-South Trade?

Trade policies and agreements may not purposefully exclude women, yet they oftentimes reproduce existing gendered asymmetries and inequalities. This holds particularly true for North-South trade relati- ons, where power imbalances remain strong. While Germany’s newly formulated feminist development and foreign policy both acknowledge an existing gender bias in trade, they hardly aim to tackle its root causes. Considering the significant impact of global trade on the socioeconomic inclusion of women, Germany should thus commit to an intersectional (see infobox 1) Feminist Trade Policy. This would entail a rigorous engagement for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at various governance levels — e.g., to advocate for intersectional feminist approaches within the World Trade Organization, for more equi- table trade agreements in the European Union, and to harmonize national policies such as the Supply Chain Act.

Münchau, Konstantin, Sophie Vey