WTO Public Forum- 14th Sept 2023: Empowering Indigenous Women in Green Trade

Why is the WTO Public Forum so important?

In the context of the event, the significance of the WTO Public Forum becomes clear. It underscores the vital role of policymakers in facilitating processes for smallholders and avoiding trade barriers. Its core aim is to bolster resilience against external challenges.

With the overarching theme “It’s Time For Action,” the WTO public forum, on 14th Sep’23 specifically addressed green trade and gender-related initiatives. The active participation of indigenous women was particularly noteworthy, shedding light on their crucial role in environmental protection and promoting inclusive and sustainable local development. This achievement owes much to the influential women leaders within these communities who nurture such engagement.

The Waorani leader Caho Boya, told how the association started in the Ecuadorian Amazonian forest with only six women ten years ago and grew into a network of 58 communities -engaging more than a thousand women working together as guardians of the Amazonian forest. In this community, the leaders -usually men- have supported women’s empowerment and recognized their role in preserving nature and culture. The Government of Ecuador supports and monitors the initiative as a benchmark for regional knowledge management and scaling high-impact solutions in the region.

AMWAE (Association of Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon) maintains an ecological production of cocoa harvesting, drying, and fermentation processes, which they carry out using traditional and organic methods, making it a conservation project that prevents deforestation, and it is also a measure of fauna protection and a path for sustainable local development. A locally outsourced process transforms the cocoa beans into chocolate bars with excellent taste and packaging.

The women’s communities also make beautiful crafts, such as baskets, and bags, using natural fibers, and other home décor items. Thanks to AMWAE, these small artisans became a large entrepreneurial group overcoming cultural and language barriers. The association sells these products in two local dedicated community shops and features them in selected high-end hotels’ gift shops. The women’s leadership and their abilities to preserve and transmit the language, and the cultural and ancestral know-how to the children and youth have made this community thrive. The Ambassador of Ecuador WTO Mission and the Minister of Trade of Ecuador that attended the Forum, acknowledged the role of the association as the guardians of the land and their role in countering climate change. The Minister also engaged in working with other countries to facilitate the market access of indigenous communities’ products.

On the other side of the world, another influential leader Rangimarie Hunia acknowledged the shift in Government policies of New Zealand that recognize the Maori’s fishing communities. In the Maori fishing community, women do shape decisions. Rangimarie is the first woman leader of the Te Ohu Kaimoana (Māori Fisheries Trust) of New Zealand which represents a 17 billion dollar industry.

The Trust boasts a stronger women’s representation claim, improved economic returns, and greater women’s empowerment. Towards this goal, Rangiemarie leads the movement that has allowed women to participate in fisheries management actively, increasing income earned for their communities. For example, Rangemarie explained that in Aotearoa New Zealand, fishing forms an integral part of Māori custom and tradition. And historically the guardianship and responsibility towards living things ensures careful management through the use of Māori knowledge and correct, sustainable fishing practices. Rangimarie also states that we must pay more attention to the role of men in recognizing and supporting women’s work in fisheries toward creating equitable and sustainable fisheries. Ambassador Kelly of the WTO’s New Zealand Mission highlighted the support that the Government provides to the Maori fishing communities as part of its broader support for indigenous economic empowerment and the promotion of
inclusive and sustainable trade. She stated that 47 percent of the fishing quota in New Zealand is reserved for indigenous people and communities.

The session also highlighted the important role of business support organizations like OWIT represented by Noreen Cesareo, Chair of OWIT UK in facilitating women in trade more broadly, and the vital role they play in providing capacity building, information, and best practice sharing so that the wider community can universalize the sustainable accomplishments of indigenous communities like the Waorani and Maori. Sangeeta Khorana, Professor of Economics at Aston University / Trustee Director and Chair of the Academic Board at the Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) made a powerful statement about the need for comprehensive research to have reliable data on indigenous women’s trade and the need for women’s representation at the table. Only then can we make progress.

The WTO’s Public Forum creates a dialogue space among civil society and policymakers. The presence and contribution of the representative of the Missions of the United Kingdom, under the leadership of Ambassador Manley, current Chair of the WTO Working Group on Gender, has facilitated the inclusion in this working policy agenda of creating a strong link between inclusion and green trade. OWIT UK has engaged in follow-up technical assistance to women leaders in indigenous communities.

The Organisers:
The Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT) UK is a business membership organization working in all facets of international trade, designed to promote the advancement of women in trade and business. The OWIT ULK is part of OWIT International the global umbrella organisation. OWIT UK co-hosted this panel discussion with the Institute for Export & International Trade and the Permanent Embassy of Ecuador and New Zealand to the WTO.

Fiorina Mugione is a seasoned Development Cooperation professional with a United Nations background as a trainer and mentor. She serves on the Prayaana Board, is an Ambassador for the European Union Capacity4Development program, co-founded Ofelia International, and holds a strategic role on the board of Accelerate Africa, actively driving economic growth.