Recent USGTN publications and resources, along with earlier works that make a significant contribution to today's dialogue on the gendered impact of trade liberalization, are listed below.  USGTN resources are produced by USGTN collectively, or individually by the partner organizations that comprise USGTN. Additional USGTN resources can be accessed online in the IGTN Resource Library. 

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U.S.-Peru. Free Trade Agreement--Peruvian Women's Statement, August 2007, Peruvian Women's Organizations

Submitted to the U.S. Congress on behalf of a number of Peruvian women’s organizations, this document expresses their opposition to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement.  The U.S.-Peru FTA was not negotiated in a democratic process to include the voices of the U.S. or Peruvian populations.  The agreement will lead to an increase unemployment and worker exploitation, destroy local farm economies, decrease women’s access to public goods and services, and threaten public health.  Furthermore, the agreement will be permanent with no opportunity to amend the provisions and would infringe on Peru’s sovereignty to establish measures to protect the environment or workers.  Other points of concern are identified. 

Beyond WTO Compliance: Seeking a Just 2007 U.S. Farm Bill, August 2007, Kristin Sampson, Center of Concern/USGTN

This article, in the wake of the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill, explores proposals to amend the existing 2002 Farm Bill and uses a faith perspective to suggest what types of changes need to be made.  The article outlines the changes that have been made to U.S. Farm bills as the U.S. continues to pursue intensive, export oriented agricultural production.  This pursuit is also reflected in U.S. trade policy.  U.S. subsidies and dumping practices have become a topic of contention as countries such as Brazil and Canada challenge these protective measures at the WTO.  Proposed Amendments to the 2007 Farm Bill reflect these challenges and attempt to bring U.S. food policy into compliance with WTO regulations.  However, this article argues that these changes, while seeking compliance with WTO, do not go far enough to reflect just agricultural policy; it also gives a list of issues to be addressed in order to move towards fair agricultural policy.

Trade Promotion Authority 2007--USGTN, August 2007, USGTN

This letter from USGTN expresses the group of organizations’ concern with the pending U.S. free trade agreements (FTA) with Panama and Peru and the reauthorization of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).  FTA’s have historically been gender blind and continue to be gender blind, even as the number of women in the paid economy continue to increase.  The current agreements negotiated with Panama and Peru by the Bush administration will perpetuate the assault on women’s economic, social and political rights.  The current trade agenda has and will continue to increase unemployment and worker exploitation, destroy local farm economies, decrease women’s access to public goods and services, threaten public health, and exclude civil society and congressional representatives from participating in trade decision making.  USGTN challenges Congress to seek alternatives to the current trade policy models in order to promote social and economic development through trade policy.

U.S. Social Forum: Linking Social Movements and Seeking Sustainable Alternatives, August 2007, Abiosseh Davis, Center of Concern/USGTN

The first U.S. Social Forum was held in Atlanta Georgia June 27^th through July 1^st.  This report gives a brief overview of the importance of this forum as the first of its kind in the United States.  It outlines two workshops presented by USGTN member organizations and their partners: When the Jobs Disappear: Addressing the impact of relocation on men, women and families and Creating Jobs and Keeping Jobs: women’s perspectives on alternatives for sustainable livelihoods.  These workshops brought to light the social and economic impact on men, women, and families during and after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  These workshops as well as other workshops, through their focus on sustainable alternatives and network building, highlighted the theme of the forum, Another World is Possible, Another U.S. is Necessary.

U.S. Poultry in the Global Economy: Impacts on Women, Livelihoods and the Environment, August 2007, Kristin Sampson (Center of Concern/USGTN) and Carole Morrison (Delmarva Community Alliance)

This briefing paper uses the U.S. poultry industry as a case study to outline global trends in the production and trade of poultry and the impact of these trends on women, livelihoods and the environment.  The paper suggests that the U.S. poultry industry, marked by the domination of multinational companies, vertical integration and contract production, has developed an intricate and integrated system of supply and production that has been emulated by agroindustrial firms globally.  While this system has increased the production of chicken in the U.S. and abroad, the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of the system are experienced globally. The resources required to produce one chicken (water and land) and the harmful ingredients of the chicken feed have a significant environmental impact on the communities producing the chicken.  Corporate domination and an emphasis on profit has undermined favorable working conditions, in terms of health and wages, for farmers and factory workers, particularly women, who are affected as producers, consumers, and family care providers in the U.S. As the world trade system becomes more liberalized and integrated, the impacts of the U.S. poultry industry have a direct effect internationally on the working conditions of poultry workers, women, who are the main producers of poultry for economic and nutritional survival of families, and food sovereignty as more countries become dependent on food imports.   

A Statement of Opposition to the USA-Peru Free Trade Agreement, August 2007, USGTN

Members of USGTN lay out their opposition to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement to the U.S. Congress.  Experiences from NAFTA and CAFTA have proven that free trade agreements do not work in favor of the poor and are particularly detrimental to women. In addition, the U.S.-Peru FTA was not negotiated in a democratic process to include the voices of the U.S. or Peruvian populations.  Furthermore, the agreement will lead to an increase unemployment and worker exploitation, destroy local farm economies, decrease women’s access to public goods and services, and threaten public health.  Members of USGTN urge congress to oppose the agreement when it comes up for Congressional approval.

Women's Experience of Economic Liberalization: Confronting Challenges, Developing Opportunities, May 2006, Center of Concern, USGTN

Although trade agreements such as NAFTA have, in many instances, been devastating to women, their families and their communities in the U.S., few people have heard of these agreements nor are enough people debating their impact. In order to be able to identify where there has been fallout and where they may be alternatives, U.S. women must begin to talk about economics (both domestic and international) and social well-being- issues that are inextricably linked to transformative change.  In 2002, the Center of Concern decided to open the debate and encourage women in the U.S. to begin this discussion.  This document reports on the second phase of this project which brought together concerned women in Nashville, Tennessee; Robeson County, North Carolina; Amherst, Massachusetts; and Los Angeles, California to learn about economic liberalization and discuss their experiences.  In each of the four consultations, the discussion brought out key concerns around migration, lack of decent jobs, discrimination, and access to services.

Trade-Related Job Losses: A Gender Analysis,  May 2006, Ramya M. Vijaya (Assistant Professor, Economics – Richard Stockton College), USGTN

This research evaluates gender biases in trade-related employment changes in the U.S. manufacturing industries. We find that existing patterns of occupational segregation have ensured that female workers are more vulnerable to trade related insecurities. We also find that the patterns of segregation make less likely that female workers will benefit from potential gains from trade. We believe that the extent of this bias highlighted here should provide a strong motivation to evaluate the effectiveness of trade-related employment compensation and adjustment programs from a gender perspective.

Identifying an Alternative for Regional Integration in the Americas, Alexandra Spieldoch, Center of Concern / USGTN

Assessment of the different paths to regional integration in the Americas, the policymaking mechanisms and the need to take stock of how liberalization is being pushed throughout the LAC region. The importance of reaffirming social issues, human rights and sustainable development when addressing technical issues.

Another World is Possible, March 2006, Maria Riley, Centre of Concern (COC)

A presentation by Maria Riley, Center of Concern (COC), given earlier this year on the historical process of globalization and liberalization of international Trade. The effects of neo-liberal policies on the integration of the global economy, the merits and demerits of globalization and the alternatives of the feminist agenda.

Post Hong Kong Ministerial: Issues going forward, March 2006, USGTN

The components of this USGTN resource on the outcomes of the 6th WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong in December 2005 in the areas of Development, Agriculture, Services and Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) will highlight what was and wasn’t agreed upon at the ministerial and point to ongoing concerns as the negotiations progress. This resource also critiques the role of the U.S. government in this process and calls for more effective and sustainable policies as we continue to closely monitor multilateral negotiations from a gender perspective.

Gender and Trade in the United States: Building a Research Agenda, February 2006, Smriti Rao, USGTN

This paper reviews some of the existing literature on the gendered effects of liberalization policies within the United States to argue that there is an urgent need for more research in this field. There are significant gaps in our knowledge of the gendered domestic impacts of policies that the United States advocates globally.