Trade is often posited as an important instrument for successful post-war recovery, reconstruction and development. More recently, trade liberalization has also gained currency as a contributor to regional stability, with the dogma suggesting that free trade acts as an arbiter of cooperation between and within nations. But the phrase “trade is war” is also a common one, and free trade theory itself acknowledges the inherent existence of “winners and losers” within its model, suggesting that sustainable recovery and reconstruction are far from given.
This webinar is the second of a two part series that examines the kind of trading paradigms currently being pursued in post-war contexts, and asks what relationships these have – if any – with sustainable peace? A feminist analysis is critical to this exploration, as it is not only the realm of war/peace/security, but also the realm of trade, that have deeply gendered dynamics; the successes and failures of recovery and reconstruction are felt disproportionately and most acutely by women. The unequal gendered impacts of trade liberalization and the international free trade architecture that promote it have been well-documented by feminist scholars and activists in recent decades. More recently, the connections between climate justice, digital justice, and trade justice have also been highlighted. These analyses have also been successful at highlighting the unequal global dynamics of power that exist between the north and south and the extractive relationship that underpins it. However, the intersections of gender, trade and post war recovery remain a relatively unexplored area.
This final webinar in a nine-part series entitled 'Trade Justice in the Time of COVID-19' organized by the Gender and Trade Coalition (GTC) is convened by GTC Co-chair, Regions Refocus, and the Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights. It envisions feminist alternatives for post-war recovery and sustainable peace by taking a deep dive into digital governance, artificial intelligence, human rights, and the limitations of current trade rules. With introductions by Aishu Balaji (Regions Refocus) and Carol Cohn (Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights), speakers include:
- Nancy Kachingwe (South Feminist Futures);
- Nandini Chami (IT for Change); and
- Diyana Yahaya.
Event Recording
Convenors
