The first step in gender-aware economic analysis involves building the statistical picture of an economy as a gendered structure. Such a picture, if appropriately disaggregated in terms of production sectors, workers’ and households’ characteristics can provide a useful baseline from which to track the direct and indirect effects of trade changes by gender. By highlighting existing inequalities, it can help assess whether proposed trade reforms and agreements are likely to redress or intensify bottlenecks to women’s access to economic resources and opportunities. It can also guide the selection of relevant indicators for ex-post monitoring.
This guide offers an introduction to gender-aware data analysis for assessing distributional effects of international trade at the country level. It describes conceptual frameworks and data sources and shows how to use statistical data to understand the linkages between changes in trade policies and various dimensions of gender inequality. The guide is designed primarily for data analysts and policy advisers. It could also be of help to women’s organizations and other civil society stakeholders involved in trade consultations.