Trade. Gender Equality. Women's Economic Empowerment. Trade Policy. Brazil.
The present study discusses gender integration in Brazilian trade policy taking into account international initiatives adopted at the United Nations (UN) and the Multilateral Trade Systems level that recognizes the importance of a universal, non-discriminatory and equitable trade to accelerate progress towards gender equality and women's economic empowerment. Although improvements in health and education have occurred, gender gaps in economic and political fields persists around the globe. Within this setting, trading stands out as a vital tool to women's economic empowerment, to exercise their autonomy and consequent prominence in decision-making process. In international terms, some legal instruments have reassured trade's role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development, in September 2015, and the Joint Declaration on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment, adopted by the Eleventh Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in December 2017. In the national terms, the fundamental principles of the Federative Republic of Brazil establish the obligation to protect and promote human dignity, material equality, human rights and cooperation among peoples to achieve progress in humanity. Brazilian Economic and Financial Order assures all a dignified existence, accordingly to social justice principles, as to oblige recognition, protection and promotion of women's economic rights. Established the international and constitutional premises that authorizes special protection to women and being evident that the fulfilment of economic rights demands elaboration and execution of public policies, this study questions, in its second part, the roll of Law in conforming a gender sensitive trade policy, aiming to answer which objectives, competences, tools and social actors are involved in the elaboration of the Brazilian trade policy, comprehended as a public policy. Said framing allows to study the trade policy in phases that integrate the so called public policies elaboration cycle. Under the normative approach, gender inequality is identified as a public problem and inclusive trade as a possibility of solution. At last, acknowledging the importance of incorporating an exhortatory nature to the research, it presents and discusses propositions of a Gender and Trade Agenda to Brazil.