Background
The project “Digitalization and artificial intelligence-powered transparency on trade-related regulations for gender-sensitive trade policymaking in Africa” aims to strengthen the capacity of four African countries – The Gambia, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia – to improve transparency on trade-related regulations with digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) to better develop gender-sensitive trade policies. Trade policy can have disproportionate effects on women traders and entrepreneurs, as well as posing a risk to health and well-being of women through products and sectors where women are heavily involved. However, a lack of transparency in trade-related regulations increases trade costs and remains a major obstacle to design evidence-based gender-sensitive trade policy.
Objectives
The workshop aims to:
- Launch the project and present its overall objectives, planned activities, expected outputs and implementation approach to national stakeholders.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities of government institutions, private sector representatives, women’s associations, organizations of persons with disabilities and other relevant stakeholders in the project.
- Discuss mechanisms for dissemination and access to regulatory information, including opportunities to make information collected through the project available through national trade portals.
- Identify stakeholder needs and priorities related to gender-sensitive trade-related regulations and regulatory information, and gather feedback to inform project implementation.
Participants
The workshop will bring together:
- Government officials from different institutions addressing trade-related regulations
- Private sector representatives
- Women’s associations
- (If possible) associations of persons with disability
- Other UN agencies such as RCOs or UNCTs
