India voted against the move to link gender equality in trade.

TNPSC Current Affairs - December 2017 by TNPSC Guru

At the World Trade Organisation’s 11^th Ministerial Meeting held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, India voted against the move to link gender equality in Trade. India said that even though it strongly support gender equality but it will not agree that gender is related with trade related issue.

The declaration was initiated by Iceland and Sierra Leone along with International Trade center.

It was supported by 119 WTO Member out of total 164 member countries.

WTO said that the declaration will help to boost Women participation in trade and will get better paid jobs for women , which helps to boost the countries overall economy.

Why India voted against this declaration? 

• Indian official said that linking gender equality in trade which will allow developed nation to use the advantage of more advanced gender policies which will block exports from underdeveloped countries.
• It also results in not addressing gender related issues and encourages development through incentives in developing countries for Women.
• Also India strongly agrees that this is not the ideal place to support gender equality and relating gender with trade related issues.
• India Doesn’t want to any discuss any issue which is not related to Trade in WTO. India first needs permanent solution on Food security issue