# Women's Economic Empowerment in Trade Act of 2021

This bill is designed to help women entrepreneurs and business owners participate more fully in international trade. Right now, when the U.S. negotiates trade deals with other countries or works on trade policies, women-owned businesses often get left out of the conversation and don't benefit as much as larger, traditionally male-dominated companies. This bill aims to change that by making sure women's economic interests are considered whenever the government makes decisions about trade.

The bill requires the U.S. government to actively look at how trade policies affect women business owners and to include women's perspectives when developing these policies. It also pushes for better data collection so we can actually track whether women are benefiting from trade opportunities. The government would need to work with women entrepreneurs to understand what barriers they face—like difficulty getting loans, lack of information about export opportunities, or discrimination—and then address those problems. Additionally, the bill encourages the U.S. to work with other countries to promote women's economic participation in international trade, recognizing that this benefits everyone involved.

In practical terms, this could mean more resources and support for women-owned businesses looking to sell products internationally, better access to trade information and networks, and trade agreements that specifically consider women's needs. For women entrepreneurs, it could open doors to new markets and customers abroad. For the broader economy, it means tapping into talent and business potential that's currently underutilized. The bill essentially says that when America negotiates trade deals and sets trade policy, women business owners shouldn't be an afterthought—they should be part of the planning from the start.

Women’s Economic Empowerment in Trade Act of 2021

Casey, Robert P., Jr.

Women's Economic Empowerment in Trade Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility requirements for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), requires the President to collect specified information on beneficiary developing countries that receive preferential trade treatment under the GSP, and requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to review the laws of each country that receives such preferential trade treatment. Specifically, the bill makes ineligible for designation as a beneficiary developing country any country that (1) does not substantially afford equal rights and protection under the law, regardless of gender; or (2) engages in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. The President must take into account the extent to which a country engages in such practices when determining whether to designate any country as a beneficiary developing country. The President must also collect and publish information on the extent to which a country meets these eligibility criteria, and the USTR must publish a notice of, and the rationale for, any determination with respect to a petition for review of a country's eligibility for designation. The USTR must annually review the laws of each beneficiary developing country relating to their compliance with internationally recognized worker rights and the affording of equal rights and protection under the law, regardless of gender. If a country fails to meet these eligibility criteria for five consecutive years, the benefits provided to that country shall be commensurately reduced.