Gender as Included in Bilateral and Multi-Party Trade and Integration Agreements

This study aims to look at the mention of gender in the bilateral and multi-party trade agreements. By examining a number of existing trade agreements, this study brings to the trade and gender literature corpus a language analysis of gender mention in trade agreements. Through the two tables shown in the Annex 1 and 2, this study has also developed a database displaying gender language.

Through this process, the study examines how gender dimension has been expressed; and the mechanisms through which it is implemented. The diversity of the gender mention in trade agreements analysed reveals different trends, since each agreement has its own settings and provisions regarding gender. The different trends regarding this language vary from a simple mention of women rights, to a specific commitment backed with legally enforced mechanisms. Thus, the study after a substantive introduction part, provides analysis of gender mention in bilateral and multi-party trade agreements in parts two and three respectively.

Part two devoted to bilateral trade agreements starts by providing an overview of the mention of gender trends and its evolution through time. It then moves to a more specific language analysis by examining the themes though which gender is approached; i.e.: the labour theme, the social theme, the sustainability theme, and the sectorial theme.

Part three focusses on multi-party trade agreements and starts by specifying the contextual settings of multi-party agreements regarding gender mentions. It also gives an overview of the trends of gender mention and its historical evolution. Then it moves to the description and presentation of the formal dimension and the commitment dimension of gender mention in these agreements.

The study concludes with by offering broader insights on gender language in trade agreements.