► Women still comprise only 13 percent of national legislators and 14 percent of government ministers worldwide. Among policymaking areas, economics and finance have the lowest levels of women's representation-across all countries, only 28 female ministers hold economics-related portfolios (including finance, economics, trade, development, industry and agriculture)

► Women are much more likely to be concentrated in the so-called soft domains such as education, health, social affairs and human resources.

► Internationally, the number of women in the decision-making structures of the major finance and trade institutions is also low.

► Women's activists must organize around and influence this struggle, placing themselves and their issues squarely on the agendas of all involved constituencies. ( WEDO Primer,1999)

How to Strengthen Women's Capacity to Attain Economic Equity?
Procurement, training for women entrepreneurs and access to credit help overcome these barriers, but if the government procurement agreement is extended, existing set-asides for women and minorities could be eradicated. Women's livelihoods, already weakened by globalization policies, will worsen if the WTO agreement on agriculture is extended to remove protections

Programs to increase women's access to credit have been established in many countries.

Affirmative action on education to credit and training in entrepreneurial and management skills is needed. (Fakhro, M., 2003)

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