an Eldis Resource
Gender review of the Economic Partnership Agreements
Why do women loose out in Economic Partnership Agreements?
Authors:
L. Pheko
Publisher:
International Gender and Trade Network , 2006
This paper looks the gender impacts of liberalisation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). The author argues that EPAs have not examined the cost of liberalisation on women in terms of physical resources, human resources and social capital needed to transfer resources and skills as control to effectively manage liberalisation.
The author points out that EPAs have implications for job security, livelihoods, well-being and human rights.
In conclusion the author suggests that:
- any cultural, policy and structural constructs that ignore or exacerbate the oppression of women must be redrafted or replaced
- the liberalisation programme of EPA needs to be examined in a broader, gendered context that is mindful of the non neutrality of the market economy
