Jairam Ramesh to inaugurate Commonwealth regional workshop

New Delhi, Aug 27 (UNI) Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh will inaugurate the third Commonwealth regional workshop for capacity building on gender, trade policy and export promotion for South Asia here tomorrow.

The four-day workshop is third in a series of regional workshops in different parts of the world, and is being organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, United Nations Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM), South Asia regional office, and Society for Conflict Resolution (SOFCAR).

''As South Asia integrates with the global economy, assumptions have been made about the 'gender refusal' character of the processes of globalisation and trade. Liberalisation and the linkages between gender and trade have not been recognised explicity,'' the ministry said in statement.

It is well known that women's role and ability to participate in the economy is dependent on several factors including material, financial, technological and social. Consequently, there is a need to account for the dual role of women as producers and consumers, it said.

The workshop seeks to build the capacity of concerned actors at two broad levels like sensitising the government ministries involved in trade negotiations as well as private institutions about the gender implications of the trade liberalisation policies.

And also to highlight the importance of the contribution and participation of women and organisations that represent their interests in setting the agenda, formulating priorities including increasing the participation of women in the negotiating room.

The workshop would consist of representatives from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka drawn from both government officials, private sector and civil society.

Case studies and presentations would be made relating to sectors ranging from agriculture, industry, services and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) with field visits to specific sectors of interest to participating countries to take stock of the ground realities.

Several national and international experts in the area of gender and trade would participate in the workshop.

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