Women’s Economic Empowerment in Trade Act of 2021

The Women’s Economic Empowerment in Trade Act of 2021 (S. 1900) seeks to link international trade benefits to the protection of women’s rights and human rights. The bill would update the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)—a program that allows certain goods from developing countries to enter the U.S. duty-free—by requiring that participating nations provide equal legal protections regardless of gender and refrain from gross human rights violations.

For citizens and consumers, this legislation aims to ensure that the products imported under preferential trade terms are not produced in environments that legally discriminate against women or exploit workers. By requiring annual reviews of foreign labor laws and mandating the reduction of trade benefits for countries that fail to meet these standards over five years, the bill intends to use U.S. economic influence to promote global gender equality and improved working conditions.