International trade rules were developed for the pre-digital era and now need to adapt to the digital age. Modernizing trade rules has the potential to unlock the opportunities of internet-enabled commerce and help small businesses flourish. Working together, stakeholders can find the right balance to ensure that the digital trade realm is competitive, seamless, secure, and accessible to all.
Even before the pandemic, e-commerce was gaining traction, and the pandemic has accelerated that. International trade rules need to be updated to reflect new consumer and business expectations. At the same time, many restrictive policy measures still exist, making the digital age work for some people—but potentially excluding others.
More women around the word have gained access to a financial account—helping to narrow the financial access gender gap. But access is not enough. In this paper we set out a roadmap to move beyond access towards economic empowerment and focus on how digital skills can power female entrepreneurs beyond access to empowerment. This paper is accompanied by a video of our case study.
This call to action proposes five strategies that governments can adopt to address the severe gender gaps and support women’s economic empowerment in LAC/Este documento presenta cinqo estrategias para cerrar las desigualdades de género y promover a las mujeres en América Latina y el Caribe.
New barriers and regulatory fragmentation in the digital economy risk harming global economic growth. International economic cooperation can help countries innovate and grow without sacrificing resilience, system safety, and protection of consumers.
Global network connections help businesses in developing countries thrive – and help their countries’ private sector grow.
We call upon Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the new Director General to focus the World Trade Organization (WTO) on economically empowering women through trade.
The international trading system must upgrade its rules to ensure that digital trade is able to thrive and empower small businesses across the globe.
Individuals and businesses can benefit from increased access to digital trade, and there are several ways to optimize these opportunities.