USGTN is a growing network of women who are addressing the negative impacts of economic and trade liberalization on women, families and communities. It challenginges the U.S. government for its aggressive role in promoting trade liberalization in multilateral (WTO), regional and bilateral trade negotiations despite current indicators that this model of trade liberalization is not working for the majority of people in the world. USGTN works in collaboration with the IGTN regions to promote IGTN's political agenda.

Currently USGTN has two committees, the Advocacy Committee and a Committee of academic researchers who do analytic work with a feminist lens on the impact of economic liberalization and free trade on the U.S.

The Advocacy is actively engaged in monitoring U.S. trade negotiations at the multilateral and regional levels and advocating for more just, sustainable and gender equitable agreements. The Research Committee is building a body of research on the impacts of economic liberalization and free trade on the quality of life in the U.S. USGTN is exploring new ways of doing popular education as it seeks to engage more women from local communities across the country.

For more information see http://www.igtn.org/page/511.

Additional Resources

• Trade-Related Job Losses: A Gender Analysis (Ramya M. Vijaya, USGTN Researcher - May 2006)

Research evaluating gender biases in trade-related employment changes in the U.S. manufacturing industries. We find that existing patterns of occupational segregation have ensured that female workers are more vulnerable to trade related insecurities. We also find that the patterns of segregation make less likely that female workers will benefit from potential gains from trade. We believe that the extent of this bias highlighted here should provide a strong motivation to evaluate the effectiveness of trade-related employment compensation and adjustment programs from a gender perspective.

• Letter to Congress: Peru, Panama and Trade Promotion Authority (USGTN - June 2007)

Letter from USGTN members and other organizations and social movements in the United States working on issues related to women's economic, social and political equality, to express concern that the compromise reached between a small group of Senior Democrats and the Administration does not go far enough to correct the harmful impact on women of the proposed free trade agreements (FTAs) with Peru and Panama; does not address the systemic problems with the free trade model; will likely be unenforceable; and should not give support to renewal of "fast track" Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).

• U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement: Peruvian Women's Statement (Numerous Peruvian Organizations - October 2006)

Submitted to the U.S. Congress on behalf of a number of Peruvian women's organizations, this document expresses their opposition to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement.

• A Statement of Opposition to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement (USGTN - November 2006)

Members of USGTN lay out their opposition to the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement to the U.S. Congress.