Rethinking Women’s Role in WTO in the Digital Age: Challenges, Opportunities, and Shifting Power Dynamics..

Abstract

The transformation of global trade governance in the digital era has significantly reshaped the  participation within the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly with regard to women’s roles and representation. The paper examines how digitalization has influenced women’s engagement in WTO processes, focusing on the persistent structural barriers, emerging opportunities, and evolving power dynamics that characterize this shift.

The study holds an interdisciplinary approach, integrating perspectives from international political economy, gender studies, and digital governance. It highlights how digital tools, including virtual negotiation forums and e-commerce platforms, have created new opportunities for women’s participation by reducing geographical and financial constraints. However, these opportunities remain unevenly distributed, often reinforcing existing inequalities due to disparities in access to digital infrastructure and skills.

Furthermore, the paper explores the shifting power dynamics within the WTO, where digital trade agendas are increasingly dominated by technologically advanced nations, thereby marginalizing voices from less developed regions, including women stakeholders. It argues for a rethinking of institutional frameworks to ensure gender-inclusive digital trade policies, capacity-building initiatives, and equitable representation in governance structures.

By situating women at the intersection of trade and technology, this research underscores the need for more inclusive, transparent, and responsive global trade governance. It concludes that while digitalization holds transformative potential, deliberate policy interventions are essential to ensure that women are not merely passive participants but active agents in shaping the future of international trade.