Narrowing the Gender Gap Through Trade Agreements?

A global gender gap continues to be a drag on economies even though some progress has been made. A recent trade deal between Canada and Chile included a focus on women and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that similar considerations should be part of a renegotiated NAFTA. Can trade agreements provide a mechanism for narrowing the gender gap? We asked Gwen Young, Director of the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative and Women in Public Service Project, to share her thoughts on the topic in this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

Guest

Gwen Young is the Director of the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative and Women in Public Service Project at the Wilson Center. Ms. Young brings to her position over 20 years of experience in international public service. As a public policy professional, Ms. Young has advocated for and published on the role girls and women play in political, social and economic development. She has trained women in advocacy skills, how to build a network, and management skills. Ms. Young has also worked “on the ground” with private sector and public service actors on issues of women’s entrepreneurship including tools to ensure access to finance. As an attorney, Ms. Young has worked as a professional advocate for women and human rights in corporate law settings, with the ICTY and the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. She also provided humanitarian law and advocacy training and developed guidelines to deal with sexual and gender based violence and exploitation in conflict ridden zones. Her career has encompassed a comprehensive array of international organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medecins Sans Frontieres, International Rescue Committee, and the Harvard Institute for International Development. An alumna of Smith College, Harvard and the University of California Davis, Martin Luther King Jr School of Law, Ms. Young has pursued a career in humanitarian relief, international development, and human rights. 

Host
John Milewski is the executive producer and managing editor of Wilson Center NOW and also serves as director of Wilson Center ON DEMAND digital programming. Previously he served as host and producer of Dialogue at the Wilson Center and Close Up on C-SPAN. He also teaches a course on politics and media for Penn State’s Washington Program.