Neutral Policies, Uneven Impact

Non-tariff measures (NTMs) are trade policy measures designed to achieve public policy objectives such as protecting public health, consumer safety, and the environment. While NTMs often bear high trade costs such as having high information, implementation, and compliance cost, they are usually necessary for achieving economic, social, and other policy goals to ensure product safety and quality for consumers. Based on the review of a list of literature, case studies, and anecdotes, this study has looked at the gendered impacts of NTMs on women as traders/entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers, respectively, and aims to propose ways in which NTMs related project design, implementation and monitoring can be approached with a gendered lens.