Quick win No. 3

A commitment to increasing market access opportunities for products that bring formal employment to women, especially in sectors such as apparel and footwear which predominantly employ women.

The apparel industry is one of the most women-dominated industries in the world. Over 70% of the workers in China (the world largest apparel manufacturer), 85% of the workers in Bangladesh, and 90% of the workers in Cambodia are women. In many developing countries, the footwear industry and agriculture sectors employ a majority of women as workers.

However, these industries face some of the highest market access barriers compared to others. For example, the average tariff on apparel and footwear into the United States is about 11% while the average duty rate paid for all goods is 1.4%. In 2018 (prior to the pandemic) only 30.4% of all goods imported were subject to duty but nearly all apparel (80%) and all footwear (95%) were subject to duties. Further, prior to actions by the United States under section 301, which levied additional duties on Chinese apparel and footwear (the largest supplier of both products to the United States), footwear and apparel imports from China accounted for only about 6% of all imports in 2017 but represented more than half the duties paid.

Tariffs on apparel and footwear into the United States and other countries can further discriminate against gender. For example, the United States tariff system assesses higher tariffs on women’s clothing than on men’s clothing— the average tariff on men’s apparel is approximately 12% while that on women’s apparel is nearly 15%.

A priority should therefore be given to removing barriers to market access, focusing on industries that employ the highest percentage of women. Targeting these barriers will build stronger societies in developing countries and enable them to compete with industrialized countries, relying on their readily available labor force.

Developing countries realize that employing women in the workforce will help ensure that societal necessities, including food, health and education may be more effectively met than when employing only men. Allowing developing countries greater market access for products that bring formal employment to women can reduce national reliance on aid and assistance, expand the creation of meaningful jobs, encourage increased trade and reduce societal pressures and disruption arising from poverty.