Gender Mainstreaming in Trade and Industry

Abstract

This is one of the sectoral guides that are part of the Gender Management System (GMS) resource kit, a series of publications presenting GMS. GMS is an innovative system developed by the Commonwealth Secretariat for gender mainstreaming. The system is a comprehensive network of structures, mechanisms and processes for bringing a gender perspective to bear on all government policies, plans, programmes and projects. The kit consists of a handbook which presents the GMS in detail; sectoral guides to gender mainstreaming in specific sectors; and resource documents to assist the user in gender analysis, monitoring, evaluation and other aspects of gender mainstreaming. Each sectoral guide also has a corresponding Quick Guide a short, userfriendly publication presenting the essential points. It is designed for policymakers, planners, field staff and other government personnel involved in gender mainstreaming, as well as for academic users, NGOs, the private sector and others who have a stake in advancing gender equality and equity. This guide deals with gender mainstreaming in trade and industry. It promotes the formulation of realistic strategies to advance the position of women through a concerted, regularly monitored cycle and includes recommendations for promoting gender equality in the private sector trading community as this is so often the sector which actually conducts trading operations.