Minutes of the Gender Expert Group on Trade meeting
5 April 2005
1. Chair’s welcome and opening remarks
Present:
Dr. Annette Lawson – Chair
Nazneen Kanji – International Institute for Environment & Development
Elizabeth Sidney – Women Liberal Democrats
Martha Baker —Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Sue Webb – Community Development Foundation
Suzanne Davis – Women in Film and Television
Tracy Sortwell – National Federation of Women’s Institute
Jo Morris – Trade Union Congress
Catherine Hoskyns – Coventry University
Elizabeth Muir - Welsh Enterprise Institute
Amanda Brooks – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Liz Mounter – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Janet Veitch – Women’s National Commission (WNC)
Lourdes Colinas – Women’s National Commission (WNC)
Apologies: Nicola Robinson – DTI, Shirin Rai – University of Warwick, Ann Wiseall – Business and Professional Women Ltd., Barbara Evers – Women Working Worldwide, Sue Green – WNC , Marilyn Carr– Institute of Development Studies, Tamsyn Barton – DfID, Margaret Turner – WILPF, Tahnee Wright – WNC.
2. Minutes of the last meeting (18 January 2005)
The minutes were approved.
3. Chair’s update on GEGT work
AL provided the group with an update of the GEGT work since the last meeting (18 January).
AL mentioned that after the last meeting, the comments suggested by the group were incorporated into the GEGT position paper on the Government’s Trade and Investment White Paper 2004. The final document was sent to the GEGT on 11 February, and then to Patricia Hewitt and the White Paper Team on 18 February. It was also sent to Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for External Trade and Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Director of the Ditchley Foundation.
She mentioned that the European Commissioner for External Trade, Peter Mandelson, gave a lecture at LSE on 4 February in which he sets out his trade agenda and action plan for 2005. There was no mention of gender or women in it. A letter was sent to him on behalf of the GEGT pointing out that his lecture failed to take seriously women's role in trade development. The letter also pointed to the centrality of gender equality and of using gender impact assessments in the liberalisation of trade.
She also added that Ann Wiseall is standing down as Director of Business and Professional Woman UK (BPW UK) in April, and her replacement will be Jackie Smith who would like to take over Ann’s place on the GEGT.
AP1. WNC to request Jackie Smith to fill in an application form
4. Discussion about GEGT participation in the upcoming events including:
Ditchley conference, Oxfordshire (8-10 April)
AL provided the group with a briefing about the Ditchley Conference, the main topic of which is ‘The Role of Women in the Developing World’. AL will be chairing a session on ‘social and economic improvements’. She explained that the Ditchley Foundation runs approximately 15 conferences annually, mainly of decision-makers. Small select groups of no more than 40 are brought together, by invitation, from the worlds of politics, business and industry, academic life, the civil service, the armed forces and the media. Conference subjects are chosen in response to international challenges arising from issues of concern to democratic societies.
A paper had been prepared by the WNC to be presented in this conference. This paper draws together the main gender and trade concerns of the GEGT, based on both the UNCTAD paper and the Trade and Investment White Paper response. She highlighted that this conference was a good opportunity to let people know about the GEGT. She also asked the group whether this short paper could be used as a generic GEGT position paper at future events. NK suggested that contact details of the GEGT should be included in this paper.
AP2. WNC to circulate the Ditchley paper and ask the group for comments about whether it could be used a standard position paper
AP3. WNC to include contact details of the group in the Ditchley paper
WTO Symposium, Geneva (20-22 April)
AL mentioned that it was not possible for her to attend the WTO symposium. As such, AL suggested asking ZK or NK (who have some speaking slots at the symposium) to say a few words on behalf the GEGT about the role of the group. AL noted that she had requested some financial support from the DTI to go to this event. AB responded that there was no UK Government delegation going to this symposium, and also highlighted that the main audience was civil society.
NK explained to the group that she only had ten minutes for her presentation at the WTO Symposium and that there was no room to make general statements. However, she suggested that ZK might have a better opportunity to say something about the GEGT.
AP4. WNC to contact Zohra and ask her about the possibility of speaking about the GEGT at the WTO Symposium
AL mentioned that it would be useful if the GEGT could have an information brochure that would be distributed at future events. JV suggested that the information could be presented in a folder explaining who we are, what we do, and why a gender perspective is needed in trade. EM suggested that the GEGT folder could also have a space for information that can be added and updated.
JM mentioned TUC has useful information about women, trade and labour standards that could be included. She added that the TUC could produce a fact sheet to be included in the GEGT folder.
AP5. WNC to produce a folder with information about the GEGT
AP6. JM to send the WNC a fact sheet on women, trade and labour standards
G8 meeting, Scotland (6-8 July)
AB pointed out that this meeting is going to focus on Africa and climate change. As such, there is not much scope for the GEGT participation. AL suggested that it could be useful to approach Agnes Tolmie,Chair of AMICUS UNIFI – Glasgow Union Branch, to find out if she could attend any civil society meetings and represent the GEGT.
AP7. WNC to approach Agnes Tolmie and asked her if she is able to attend the G8 meeting in Scotland
The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, Hong Kong (13-18 December)
AB mentioned that there is no formal agenda for this meeting yet. JV asked AB what her thoughts about GEGT participation in Hong Kong were. She asked AB if it was possible to table a paper, something similar to the UNCTAD paper. AB responded that there was no opportunity to table a paper in Hong Kong. She highlighted that the GEGT must prioritise its areas of interest and then develop a plan of action accordingly, however, she mentioned that in Hong Kong there will be civil society participation. As for the UK Government Delegation going to Hong Kong, she noted that the DTI is trying to keep it small. In light of the UK holding the Presidency of the EU and leading the EU at this conference, AL asked AB if there is a possibility that the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) will be invited to be part of the Delegation. AB responded that the EWL would be more likely to be included in the European Commission delegation.
SD suggested that she could help to produce a press statement about the GEGT. MB added that this idea was great but that the GEGT has to make sure that point of view is about empowering women, not highlighting their status as victims.
AL asked the group to decide in which areas they would like to focus; she suggested it would be useful to choose one or two. The group tentatively agreed that it might be useful to focus on: 1) non agricultural access to markets and 2) services.
AB highlighted she was very positive about the GEGT focusing its work. She agreed to provide further information on the topics the GEGT might consider as part of this prioritising exercise. She added that when the group agrees which topics to focus on, she could arrange to invite policy experts and government officials to GEGT meetings to discuss certain topics with the group. The group agreed that it would be useful to talk with the people following trade negotiations closely.
AP8. AB to send the WNC a note with guidelines for the group
5. Discussion about the results of the GEGT survey
AL provided the group with a summary of the main points arising from the GEGT survey results. She highlighted that only four responses had been received and remarked the importance of having feedback from the group. The group had a lively discussion about the main areas of improvement for the group, including the need to have agreement on the focus of the GEGT’s work and a decision on which issues to take forward.
The group also discussed the possibility of getting involved in some activities that the Trade Union Congress and the Women’s Institutes (WI) are carrying out, such as work with textiles, supermarkets and food processing. TS also mentioned that it would be useful to explore the links that the GEGT could develop with the WI campaigns.
AP9. WNC to circulate the GEGT survey to the group again
6. Chair’s briefing on CSW49 (49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women)
AL provided the group with a briefing about the most relevant outcomes from CSW49. For further information, she suggested visiting the European Women’s Lobby website (www and her own report was on the NAWO website (
7. Date of next meeting and any other business
EM mentioned that Global Enterprise Monitor is producing a report this year on women entrepreneurs, highlighting women’s contribution to the economy in developing countries.
Next meeting: Thursday July 14, 13:30 – 15:30
The meeting was closed.
Summary of actions arising
AP1. WNC to request Jackie Smith (BPW) to fill in an application form
AP2. WNC to circulate the Ditchley paper and ask the group for comments about whether it could be used a standard position paper
AP3. WNC to include contact details of the group in the Ditchley paper
AP4. WNC to contact Zohra and ask her about the possibility of speaking about the GEGT at the WTO Symposium
AP5. WNC to produce a folder with information about the GEGT
AP6. JM to send the WNC a fact sheet on women, trade and labour standards
AP7. WNC to approach Agnes Tolmie and asked her if she is able to attend the G8 meeting in Scotland
AP8. AB to send the WNC a note with guidelines for the group
AP9. WNC to circulate the GEGT survey to the group again
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