Empirical Evidence on Gendered Barriers in Chile's Trade Negotiations

Although debates on gender and trade have advanced significantly in recent years, there is still limited empirical evidence on the participation of women in trade negotiations, particularly with regard to the barriers they face and their capacity to exert substantive influence within negotiation structures. Chile is an important case study for examining gendered dynamics in trade negotiations due to its long-standing and highly institutionalised trade policy. It maintains the world's largest network of trade agreements and has adopted a Feminist Foreign Policy. Based on an analysis of official documents and fifteen semi-structured interviews with current and former negotiators, this research note reveals a sustained increase in women's participation over the past two decades, alongside ongoing limitations of their ability to influence negotiation agendas. The note contributes to debates on feminist foreign policy and the gendered dynamics of economic diplomacy in Latin America.