The inclusion of a dedicated chapter on gender equality in the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) marks a defining moment in the evolution of India’s trade policy. For the first time, gender commitments are embedded not only in a dedicated chapter but also linked across multiple chapters of the agreement; with the preamble also affirming a commitment to enhancing women’s, especially the ones from economically vulnerable backgrounds, access and ability to benefit from trade. It recognises that trade liberalisation can have asymmetric gender impacts and lays out a broad agenda for advancing gender equality by applying a gender lens to trade through targeted cooperation initiatives. The gender chapter also highlights the development and sharing of procedures for collecting gender-disaggregated data and conducting gender-based analyses – practices long advocated as essential for evidence-informed policymaking and for the systematic integration of a gender perspective into trade policies.
Central to the gender commitments is the Trade and Gender Equality Working Group, entrusted with the effective implementation and operation of the provisions. While the India-UK CETA delivers an ambitious and progressive text likely to set an important precedent for India’s future FTAs, a critical question remains: how can the working group effectively translate these provisions into tangible, on-the-ground outcomes? By identifying practical pathways to cooperation, this policy brief offers a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to support the working group in fostering an enabling ecosystem that advances women’s participation in trade in India.
