International treaty

Chapter 23: Trade and Gender Equality (web version)

Updated 15 July 2026

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Article 23.1: Objectives

1. The purpose of this Chapter is to enhance opportunities for women within the territories of the Parties, including workers, business owners and entrepreneurs, to participate equitably in global, regional, and domestic economies. Accordingly, the Parties agree to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality across this Agreement and incorporate a gender perspective in the Parties’ trade and investment relationship.

2. The Parties acknowledge that in addition to this Chapter, there are provisions in other Chapters of this Agreement that seek to promote women’s access to the benefits of this Agreement or otherwise advance gender equality. These include:

(a) Chapter 7 (Technical Barriers to Trade);

(b) Chapter 9 (Financial Services);

(c) Chapter 12 (Digital Trade);

(d) Chapter 14 (Innovation);

(e) Chapter 15 (Government Procurement);

(f) Chapter 19 (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises);

(g) Chapter 20 (Labour); and

(h) Chapter 22 (Trade and Development Cooperation).

Article 23.2: General commitments

1. The Parties recognise the important contribution of women in driving sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, in line with the Declaration, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/70/1 done at New York on 25 September 2015, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 5.

2. Similarly, the Parties appreciate that inclusive trade policies and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women are important for advancing gender equality in trade. The Parties also recognise that there are commitments in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women done at New York on 18 December 1979, that are important for promoting women’s economic empowerment and access to trade.

3. The Parties affirm their commitments under other international agreements or instruments that address women’s economic empowerment and gender equality in trade to which they are party.

4. The Parties shall endeavour to implement and enforce their respective laws, policies, practices, and regulations that promote gender equality and improve women’s access to trade and economic opportunities.

5. In pursuing the activities under this Chapter, the Parties recognise their differing capacities, available resources, and national laws, regulations and policies and shall consider each Party’s priorities and complementarity with initiatives in existence, with the aim of achieving mutual benefits and measurable advances in women’s economic empowerment and gender equality outcomes.

6. The Parties recognise that the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work prevents women from participating equitably in global, regional and domestic economies, and acknowledge the importance of promoting shared responsibility within the household. The Parties further recognise the experiences of diverse groups of women participating in trade.

7. The Parties acknowledge the need to develop interventions based, in particular, on evidence they have respectively gathered to address the systemic barriers which exist for women in international trade. Accordingly, the Parties appreciate the benefit of sharing their different experiences in designing, implementing and strengthening policies, programmes and other initiatives, to promote women’s full access to the benefits and opportunities of this Agreement.

Article 23.3: Cooperation activities

1. The Parties shall undertake cooperation activities that promote the full access of women workers, business owners, and entrepreneurs to the benefits and opportunities created by this Agreement.

2. The Parties recognise the importance of carrying out the cooperation activities in this Article with the inclusive participation of women.

3. Areas of cooperation activity may include:

(a) sharing information, experiences and evidence which each Party has gathered relating to advancing gender equality in trade and applying a gender perspective to trade;

(b) improving the access of women to markets and emerging sectors, including developing trade missions for women business owners and entrepreneurs;

(c) promoting equal opportunities for women in the workplace, including workplace flexibility;

(d) sharing experiences of the development of women’s leadership and business networks;

(e) promoting financial inclusion and literacy as well as access to financing and financial assistance, including trade financing;

(f) enhancing the competitiveness of women-owned enterprises and women-led SMEs to better enable them to participate and compete in local, regional, and global value chains through access to skills and capacity building programmes, information and technology;

(g) improving women’s participation, leadership, and education in fields in which they are under-represented such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as innovation and digital trade, insofar as they are related to trade;

(h) supporting economic opportunities for diverse groups of women in trade including by strengthening their professional and occupational competencies and skills;

(i) sharing information and experiences and identifying best practices relevant to supporting the equitable participation of women in trade in developing countries not party to this Agreement;

(j) collaborating, including with other developing countries and in any multilateral fora in which each of the Parties has chosen to participate, to support women workers in global supply chains;

(k) undertaking research on trade and gender equality where appropriate; and

(l) any other areas the Parties may decide.

4. To support achievement of the objectives of this Chapter, the Parties shall endeavour to develop, and exchange information on approaches to integrating gender into data collection, analysis and evaluation, which may include:

(a) methods and procedures for the collection of sex or gender-disaggregated data, the use of indicators and evaluation methodologies, and the analysis of gender-focused statistics related to trade; and

(b) exchanging experiences and best practices for conducting gender-based analysis of trade, policies and evaluating their effects on women in their various roles in trade.

Article 23.4: Trade and gender equality working group

1. The Parties hereby establish the Trade and Gender Equality Working Group composed of government representatives of each Party. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall meet at regular intervals by agreement between the Parties including as to the manner of the meetings, and in any event within one year of the date of entry into force of this Agreement. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall take decisions by mutual agreement.

2. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group may consider any matter that it regards as appropriate to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality across this Agreement and otherwise achieve the objectives of this Chapter. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group may make recommendations to the Joint Committee.

3. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall determine on behalf of the Parties, and carry out, the cooperation activities described in Article 23.3 (Cooperation Activities) taking into account the respective priorities, differing capacities and existing initiatives of each Party. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall otherwise support the effective implementation and operation of this Chapter.

4. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group may work with other bodies and subsidiary bodies established by or under this Agreement to advance the objectives of this Chapter and support the delivery of the cooperation activities described in Article 23.3 (Cooperation Activities), while seeking to avoid duplication of their work.

5. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group may engage with relevant stakeholders which may include women workers, business owners and entrepreneurs, including marginalised groups, in its consideration of matters relevant to this Chapter.

6. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall monitor and review the implementation and operation of this Chapter and relevant provisions in other Chapters of this Agreement.

7. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall, when appropriate, submit a report to the Joint Committee on the cooperation activities developed under paragraph 3 of Article 23.3 (Cooperation Activities).

8. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall, at its first meeting, establish contact points who shall be responsible for communication on matters relating to the objectives of this Chapter, including those arising from relevant provisions of other Chapters. The Trade and Gender Equality Working Group shall ensure that details of the contact points remain current and accurate.

Article 23.5: Non-Application of dispute settlement

Neither Party shall have recourse to dispute settlement under Chapter 29 (Dispute Settlement) for any matter arising under this Chapter.