The European Parliament adopted by 512 votes to 107 with 68 abstentions a resolution on gender equality in EU trade agreements. Members argued that EU trade and investment agreements and policy are not gender-neutral, meaning that they have different impact on women and men due to structural inequalities.
Gender equality is a universal goal enshrined in many international instruments, such as the UN Charter. The Union is firmly committed to promoting and ensuring gender equality in the framework of its fundamental treaties, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Parliament insisted that the new generation of trade agreements should promote relevant international standards and legal instruments, including on gender equality, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the core ILO Conventions and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Members argued that binding and enforceable provisions in EU trade agreements are necessary to ensure respect for human rights standards, including gender equality.
The Commission, the European Union and its Member States were invited, inter alia, to:
Recommendations by sector: Parliament also made concrete recommendations as to what the Union can and should do to strengthen its commitment to the issue of gender inequalities in various sectors with a gender-specific cause and effect such as services, manufacture, agriculture, clothing, and intellectual property rights.
It called for binding measures to combat the exploitation of women in more export-oriented industries, particularly in the textile and agricultural sectors. Parliament recommended giving greater priority to women working in the informal sector of the economy, recognising the need to strengthen decent work standards for women in this sector.
Lastly, Members called on the Commission to extend its support measures for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with a focus on measures for women-owned enterprises of this type. The Commission should help to establish partnerships between women entrepreneurs in the Union and their counterparts in developing countries.