Gender mainstreaming of trade policy
During the recent 13th Extra Ordinary Summit held on the 5th of December the AU Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa in his opening remarks articulated how important the role of women was within the Africa Continent Free Trade Agreement as part of global development.
There has been an outcry by various progressive organisations on the absence of a dedicated gender chapter in the AfCFTA. The leaders have taken heed of this observation as there will be a Protocol on Women and Youth within the AfCFTA. This was further confirmed by the Secretary General Wamkele Mene in a press release during the Summit. He said, “women in trade, young Africans and SMEs, confront significant challenges when attempting to benefit from trade agreements”.
As always been said, deliverance on the AfCFTA Protocols including Protocol on Women and Youth will not be automatic but will need rigorous implementation through the AfCFTA National Strategies obtaining within the State Parties.
This will call for gender mainstreaming of trade policies. In this context gender mainstreaming means ensuring that due consideration is given to gender inequalities and implications at every stage of the formulation of trade policy processes. It is important to always have this definition in mind as in most cases countries think that gender mainstreaming is a question of ticking boxes. It is this attitude prevalent mostly at decision levels that has seen most gender interventions not yielding the intended results.
Agriculture remains an area that will present immense opportunity within the AfCFTA and because it is prudent to consider the gender dynamics so that women may release their full potential in the area of agriculture.The AfCFTA will present increased access to markets through expanded regional value chains. Studies done by African Development Bank reveal that women contribute 50 percent of the labour force in agriculture and contribute immensely both in rural and urban economies. They perform multiple roles in the agricultural sector as livestock breeders, seed conservers, small scale farmers, processors and traders.
Nevertheless, research has also revealed how Trade Agreements may inadvertently perpetuate inequality as trade agreements in general benefit only the formal sector, as the provisions address formal barriers to trade. It is the multinationals and big companies that benefit, while MSMEs mostly owned by women and WOB (Women Owned Businesses) are left out.
Trade in agriculture takes place in a complex environment as revealed by FAO studies on Agriculture , Trade Negotiations and Gender. Trade liberalisation will always come not without risks. Joint ventures through the global value chains present opportunities in the area of technology. This is an inherent threat to household subsistence farming, while the large commercial farmers, including cash crop farmers benefit from opportunities that come with GVC investment in agriculture.
The Green Revolution technologies tend to favour large commercial farming entities at the expense of subsistence farmers who largely are women. Technology helps in increasing yields, generating incomes, while supporting trade. However, it is important for policy makers to pay attention to its differentiated impact that can perpetuate inequality.
It is through the raised observations that we expect the AfCFTA National Strategies Committees in Zimbabwe to consult widely so as to mitigate against the inherent exclusion element that comes with novel technologies. FAO recommends countries ensure they review educational disparities, social — cultural norms, and time poverty to ensure women can embrace new technological advancement skills that will enable them to become competitive.
Studies by ECA confirm that smallholder female farmers in particular could benefit from opportunities to integrate their activities into regional agricultural value chains and higher value-added agro-processing activities if they have access to technology.
Training for female farmers in capital-intensive activities in commercial agriculture; sanitary and phytosanitary skills development to access continental markets, deliberate adoption of STEM by women and young girls at schools and tertiary becomes part of the constraint specific gender intervention measure to ensure a holistic implementation of the AfCFTA that will be all inclusive.
-herald.cl.zw
