Empowering women through sustainable trade and the role of amfori
This year, Brazil chairs the nineteenth G20 Summit, with the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) hosting the B20, aiming to formulate impactful recommendations under the theme Inclusive Growth for a Sustainable Future”. As a member of both “The Trade and Investment Task Force” and the “B20 Women, Diversity and Inclusion in Business” Action Council, amfori actively participated. At the “Women in Trade Initiative” event, amfori President Linda Kromjong was invited to speak, engaging with other experts to reflect on challenges, gaps, and potential solutions.
Discover amfori’s perspective on addressing gender equality and the support we offer to our members.
In recent years, the global community has witnessed a growing emphasis on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment across various sectors. Within international trade, the role of women is increasingly recognised as vital for driving economic growth, fostering social development, and achieving sustainable outcomes. As the world navigates complex challenges, such as climate change, economic inequality, and geopolitical tensions, sustainable trade emerges as a powerful tool for addressing these issues while advancing gender equality.
Gender-sensitive information as the starting point
To address gender inequality in supply chains, gender-sensitive information is crucial, yet it’s often lacking. Despite available data highlighting inclusion issues faced by women, addressing discrimination and inequality is complex. Businesses may not realize their role in addressing these issues, and when they do, they may struggle to know where to start. With approximately 190 million women in global supply chains, gender cannot be ignored. Taking a proactive approach involves collecting gender-disaggregated data and understanding how business activities impact men and women differently. This data informs the development of gender-responsive policies to mitigate adverse impacts and adopt a gender-responsive due diligence approach.
Gender responsive procurement
Leveraging the purchasing power of governments and businesses is crucial for achieving gender equality and empowering women worldwide. To achieve this, governments and businesses must prioritise the consideration of gender equality and women’s empowerment when procuring services, goods, or civil works—an approach known as Gender-responsive procurement (GRP). Unfortunately, too few women entrepreneurs still have access to (public) procurement opportunities due to information and network gaps, among other barriers.
Gender-Inclusive Trade Agreements
Trade affects different segments of the population differently, particularly women and men. This underscores the necessity for trade policies to be gender-responsive. Sustainable trade is pivotal in advancing gender equality in global value chains and highlighting ongoing issues.
At amfori, we advocate for sustainable trade chapters in free trade agreements, aligning trade benefits with core UN and ILO conventions. It is imperative for global trade agreements to incorporate provisions on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
How amfori support its members
In 2019, amfori signed the UNECE declaration on gender-responsive standards. To honour this commitment, we reviewed the amfori BSCI standard and our tools through a gender lens, enabling our members to collect gender-disaggregated data across their global supply chains..
The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct upholds principles of no gender-based discrimination and no precarious employment. Aligned with SDG #5 on Gender Equality, amfori prioritises women’s empowerment. With over 50,000 businesses worldwide, the amfori BSCI Code fosters a common understanding that gender equality is integral to robust social management systems. Signatories use this framework to assess, manage, and address gender-based discrimination and inequality risks in their operations and global value chains.
To promote gender equality in the workplace, amfori offers training and guidance for management and workers in key sourcing countries like China, Bangladesh, India, and Turkey.
In conclusion, sustainable trade has the potential to serve as a powerful catalyst for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. By working together, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.
Read our article on the 2023 Gender Benchmark or watch our recent webinar “Insights from the 2023 Gender Benchmark”.
For more information, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.