Peru joins SheTrades Outlook to promote inclusive policymaking through better data

(Geneva/Lima) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru today announced the country’s participation in SheTrades Outlook. This will contribute to the collection of better trade and gender data to inform inclusive policymaking in trade.

SheTrades Outlook helps policymakers assess, monitor and improve the policy environment for women in business and trade. Using data collected from government agencies, trade and business support organizations, as well as business associations, the tool allows policymakers and other stakeholders to identify good practices on gender mainstreaming and prioritize areas for policy reform. SheTrades Outlook tracks 55 indicators across 6 pillars: trade policy, legal and regulatory framework, business environment, access to skills, access to finance and work and society.

As of 2023, ITC has rolled out SheTrades Outlook in 52 developing and developed countries. This includes five Latin American countries: the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, and Uruguay. Launching the tool in Peru signals a stronger commitment from the region to promote inclusive policymaking based on evidence.

“Peru is currently working on various initiatives related to trade and gender, and one of our main challenges is related to the availability of data. Our participation in SheTrades Outlook will provide us with a useful tool for the design and implementation of policy measures that contribute to women’s economic empowerment through trade and to post-pandemic economic recovery,” said Teresa Mera, Vice-minister of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Peru.

"Peru’s onboarding to the tool can help improve the inclusiveness of the policy environment and unlock opportunities for Peruvian women to participate in business and trade. Through data and evidence, SheTrades Outlook can assist policymakers to identify policy measures that work as well as areas for improvement,” said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director. “Under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ITC’s SheTrades team stands ready to support throughout the SheTrades Outlook data collection process and beyond,” she added.

Opportunities for further collaboration on gender-responsive policymaking between the Government of Peru and ITC SheTrades include the following:

• Validation workshop – to present and discuss results and recommendations from SheTrades Outlook with public and private sector stakeholders and identify areas for policy reform and technical assistance.
• Policy brief – to report key findings from the tool, provide policy recommendations and inform stakeholder consultations on trade and gender.
• Policy advisory services – to assist in mainstreaming gender when developing or revising trade and trade-related policies.
• Training for policymakers – to build the capacity of policymakers on gender mainstreaming into trade policy, public procurement, and free trade agreements.
• Peer-to-peer learning – to share and learn from good practices on gender mainstreaming across the world through the SheTrades Outlook Network of trade and gender focal points.

Building on the findings from the tool, ITC has so far supported 14 governments in mainstreaming gender in national trade and export strategies, small business policies, African Continental Free Trade Area implementation strategies, public procurement policies and regulations, and banking regulations and strategic plans, as well as in adopting internationally recognized definitions of women-led and women-owned businesses.

ITC invites additional countries in the Latin American region and across the world, to join SheTrades Outlook.

For more information, please visit www.shetrades.com/outlook or contact womenandtrade [at] intracen.org (womenandtrade[at]intracen[dot]org).

About the International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit www.intracen.org.

Follow ITC on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Flickr

Media contact

Susanna Pak
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
International Trade Centre
E: pak [at] intracen.org
T: +41 22 730 0651
M: +41 79 667 4660