The Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI)

What we do:

1. Research and Engagement: TGEI conducts research and engages with diverse stakeholders and networking to identify opportunities to support systemic changes for gender equality in trade. For example, TGEI has carried out:

• A multi-country mixed method scoping study was conducted between November 2022 and March 2023 to capture current trends, issues, and opportunities that can be explored further for the purpose of advancing gender equality in trade in the Southeast Asia region.
• A gender power analysis of FTA implementation in Indonesia was conducted in 2024. The study summarised the state of play on gender equality and trade in Indonesia as part of TGEI’s program design process for piloting models and approaches.

2. Piloting Projects: progress gender equality in trade-related policies, processes, institutions, programs, norms, and behaviours via pilot models and approaches. Read below about current implemented projects.

3. Championing Advancement: Support the adoption of gender equality practices for systemic changes in trade-related policy and programs across ASEAN Member States.

Improving economic growth and sustainable development by supporting gender equality in trade.

Trade-related policies, processes, and infrastructures impact women and men differently under diverse historical, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts. These effects ripple through economies at macro and micro levels, influenced by gender and other social identities.

The gender equality and trade nexus encompass the roles of women and men as entrepreneurs, workers, producers, and consumers. These overlapping roles mean that trade impacts can be complex and sometimes contradictory. For example, a small-scale agricultural producer might enjoy lower prices from free trade as a consumer while struggling against competition from cheaper imports as a producer. Addressing these disparities is crucial for achieving equitable trade benefits.

People's roles in shaping trade

Many factors affect how diverse groups of people engage in and impact trade, such as the sectors they work in, their business's export capacity, and their voice in trade policy and implementation.

The impact of gender equality on trade

Structural inequalities and inequities place different groups of women at distinct disadvantages compared to men and each other, often excluding them or limiting their opportunities and benefits from trade. Gender disparities, like sectoral segregation and wage gaps, hinder a country's ability to fully benefit from trade. This critical issue is studied less than the inverse: how trade impacts gender equality.