The surge in e-commerce has kindled optimism about digitalization as a means to foster inclusive development and gender equality. This optimism stems from the numerous opportunities e-commerce offers for women’s economic empowerment, notably by supporting business growth and diversifying the roles of women entrepreneurs.
By lowering some of the supply-side barriers, e-commerce facilitates easier entry into trade for women entrepreneurs. These barriers, such as limited access to finance, business networks, and market opportunities, disproportionately affect women. E-commerce mitigates these challenges, providing a more accessible platform for women to engage in international trade.
Non-tariff measures (NTMs) encompass rules, regulations, and mandatory standards applied to international trade, aimed at achieving legitimate policy objectives like environmental protection, consumer safety, health, and well-being. Although NTMs are technically gender-neutral, their impact can differ for men and women due to gender-specific supply-side constraints.
In both online and offline trade, complying with NTMs can be more burdensome for women than men. This disparity is due to existing gender gaps and factors such as firm size, exporter capacities, economic sectors, and the availability of support systems. Women often face greater difficulties in navigating these regulatory landscapes, which can impede their participation in international trade.
Understanding the gendered effects of international trade rules is essential to creating an environment where women-led businesses can thrive in e-commerce. While external support services can alleviate some of the costs associated with NTMs, comprehensive solutions are necessary to ensure that women-led and women-owned enterprises can fully realize their potential as exporters.
Although the gender implications of NTMs have been studied in general trade contexts, there has been insufficient exploration of how these measures affect women entrepreneurs in e-commerce specifically.
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