UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
UN LDCs‐IV SPECIAL EVENT Making Trade Work for Women in LDCs Date, time and venue: 11 May, 6 ‐ 8 pm, Topkapi A, Lutfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organizers: UNCTAD, UN Women Brief description of the event: The Special Event will provide an opportunity to show case the positive role that trade may play towards the economic empowerment of women in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), as well as the many challenges women face, through the presentation of country case studies conduced by UNCTAD and UN Women in a number of LDCs. More specifically, UNCTAD will present the main findings of a country‐case study on Who is benefitting from trade liberalization in Bhutan? A gender perspective and share policy recommendations on how to make trade policy more responsive to the specific challenges faced by women. UN Women will present the main findings of its studies on Women Informal Cross Border Traders conducted in Africa and share policy recommendations on how to put in place policies and measures that can support cross‐border trade and minimize existing obstacles for women involved in it. The presentations will be followed by an interactive debate. List of speakers/lead discussants, moderator and/or chair: Ministers of Trade and/or Ministers of Gender of several LDCs Ms. Michelle Bachelet, USG and Executive Director, UN Women Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, USG and Secretary‐General, UNCTAD Synopsis of the expected outcome: The Special Event is meant to raise awareness on the links between gender, trade and productive sectors, in particular the agricultural sector. It will provide the opportunity to explore policy responses to make trade policies, institutions and processes more responsive to the specific situation of women involved in formal and informal trade. It will analyze issues facing women traders, identify how Aid for Trade can better address these issues in the design and implementation of support schemes (eg, market information services, structured finance, standards compliance schemes), and assess the gender implications of intellectual property rights (IPRs) regimes affecting trade in agriculture and food products. Facilitating and supporting women's participation in economic activities, including trade, make countries grow faster.