WTO chief seeks to promote women in trade

World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said more needs to be done to ensure women have better access to the economic benefits of trade.    World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said more still needs to be done to ensure women have access to the full economic benefits of trade.
   Speaking to attendees at the International Forum on Women and Trade in Brussels on June 20, Azevêdo pointed out that trade activities are a source of increasing employment for women. He noted in Rwanda, for example, that 74 percent of cross-border trade now includes women. Similarly, in Cambodia, 86 percent of silk industry employees are women, while in China, 55 percent of digital entrepreneurs are women.
   However, barriers to women seeking to establish international businesses persist. Azevêdo said women globally still face legal and regulatory barriers, insufficient access to capital, cultural barriers and general lack of training to gain the necessary skills.
   He said it’s important to invest in gathering more data about how trade impacts women. “There is not enough data at present to properly assess where the gaps are and how we can address them,” Azevêdo acknowledged.
   Azevêdo said increasing women’s role in international trade must receive greater focus at the local, national and global levels. “If we want to change things, we all need to be engaged,” he said.