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COMESA pilots special edition of UNCTAD online course on trade and gender - Call for applications

21 April 2017

In an effort to enhance knowledge about the links between trade and gender, UNCTAD's Trade, Gender and Development Programme has developed a special edition of its online course on Trade and Gender for member States of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Taking place from 29 May to 23 July 2017, the online course builds upon the success of the initiative. UNCTAD is expanding its scope by tailoring the course to the specific needs and context of target regional groups, the first one being COMESA.

The course targets policymakers, academics and representatives of civil society working in COMESA member States on trade and gender, and involved with policy formulation, implementation, research, teaching and advocacy.

"Efforts to mainstream gender equality in trade policymaking plays a critical role in this regard and it is therefore imperative for policymakers to anticipate how trade policies will redistribute wealth within the economy and take corrective actions," said UNCTAD Secretary-General, Mukhisa Kituyi.

"Economic development and social and cultural shifts contribute to a decrease in gender-related inequalities across the world," said Dr. Kituyi, adding "however, these shifts are not an 'automatic' outcome of development but rather the result of concerted policy action and resource allocation for gender equality."

The course will focus on analysing the links between trade, gender and development with the aim of:

  • Enhancing an understanding of the interactions between trade and gender and their links to countries' inclusive development strategies

  • Illustrating how trade integration has influenced gender outcomes in COMESA countries in different economic sectors

  • Providing participants with knowledge and skills for the design and implementation of gender-aware trade and development policies corresponding to the needs and interests of their countries

Trade and trade liberalization policies tend to impact men and women differently. They yield important redistributive effects within the economy, which can either magnify or reduce existing disparities among groups, including between men and women. It is therefore imperative for policymakers to anticipate how trade policies will redistribute wealth within the economy and then take corrective actions. Academic institutions can play an important role in generating the analysis critical to inform such policymaking.

The teaching manual on trade and gender was developed by the UNCTAD Virtual Institute and the Trade, Gender and Development Section to provide an up-to-date learning resource on trade and gender issues to all stakeholders involved in research, policy formulation and advocacy in this area.

The deadline for applications is 4 May 2017.