Unlike a decade ago, when trade and gender received limited attention at the multilateral level, in countries across the globe, there is now a growing understanding that greater participation of women in trade generates broader economic gains. However, for trade to deliver more inclusive outcomes, women must be more systematically integrated into trade policy and related institutional frameworks by governments. Evolving from a development-for-women approach to women-led development, which places significance on women as drivers of economic and social progress, the inclusion of gender provisions in the FTAs signed by India, in recent years, marks an important transition. India has traditionally been cautious of linking so-called ‘non-trade/progressive issues’, including gender, both bilaterally and multilaterally, by and large regarding them as ‘veiled protectionism’. This policy brief undertakes a gender-lens assessment of India’s FTAs concluded over the last 10 years, from February 2016 to February 2026. During this period, India has concluded eight major free trade agreements, of which five clearly include gender provisions in different forms, ranging from references in the preamble, individual articles within chapters, to a dedicated gender chapter. While recognising the progress made, the brief also identifies existing gaps and areas where current approaches remain limited. Based on this assessment, the policy brief offers policy recommendations to make India’s future FTAs more gender affirmative.
