Gender and trade & investment promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean : an overview of the literature

Although few of the studies directly address the relationship between gender and T&I, and they leave much to be desired in the way of quantitative data and systematic analyses, the studies do highlight the disadvantaged place of women within Latin America"s T&I sector and point up research needs. Following an introduction, Section 2 of the report describes the LAC Bureau"s T&I initiative, Section 3 then provides an overview of gender issues in structural adjustment in the region and of women"s and men"s relative positions in the labor market, setting the stage for in-depth discussion in Section 4 of issues specifically related to women"s employment and the T&I initiative. Three types of gender-based discrimination (by sector, occupation, and wage) are explored, followed by a summary of issues arising in unionization, the informal sector and outwork, occupational health and safety, and protective legislation. The fifth and final section highlights gaps in our knowledge of gender and T&I issues; these are presented as prioritized research recommendations for Mission and/or Bureau action and are accompanied by justifications and operational implications. Annexes include a 26-page bibliography and selected statistical data.