Despite progress, women still contribute less to exports across all sectors. Closing the gap requires expanding their access to high-value sectors, strengthening labour rights and supporting their inclusion in larger enterprises.
Despite progress, global trade continues to undervalue women’s contributions. Their share of domestic value added to exports remains lower than men’s in all regions.
Global domestic value added – the portion of an exported good’s or service’s value generated within a country – totalled $15 trillion in 2020.
Women contributed 40% of exported value in developed economies – twice the share in Africa, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Asia’s developing economies, men’s contributions are nearly double. The data, based on labour force surveys, cover both paid workers and the self-employed.
Sectoral trends shed more light on the “value added” gender gap. Women’s share is highest in services – 45% in developed economies and 43% in Latin America and the Caribbean. In contrast, they contribute just one third of men’s value added in agriculture and industry. In developing Asia, however, the pattern shifts, with women’s highest share in agriculture (39%), followed by industry (38%) and services (36%).
Industry: Women drive value in textile exports
Globally, industry contributes the most to domestic value added, accounting for 56% in 2020, followed by services (42%) and agriculture (3%), according to estimates by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. “Industry” includes non-service sectors such as mining, manufacturing (food, chemicals, machinery, electronics), utilities and construction.
Women’s share of domestic value added in industry exports typically ranges from 20% to 40%, but in Cambodia, Viet Nam and Thailand, it is around half or more – rising to 77% in Cambodia. This reflects the strong role of export-oriented manufacturing, particularly textiles and apparel, in employing female workers.
The data shows that women’s employment in manufacturing aligns with industry intensity. Low-tech, labour-intensive sectors – such as food, beverages and textiles – tend to employ more women. In Cambodia, for example, 67% of workers in low-tech industries like apparel were women in 2021, compared to 48% in higher-tech sectors.
As automation and high-skilled production expand, policymakers must ensure women gain access to higher-value jobs through targeted training and skills development.
Services: A rising sector with mixed gender impacts
Services are increasingly important in trade, accounting for 25% of global exports. In 2023, trade in services grew by 5% in real terms, even as merchandise trade shrank by 1.2%, according to UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2024.
Women’s share of value added in services exports is the highest among sectors but varies widely – ranging from 2% to nearly 60% in developing economies and between 30% and 50% in most developed economies. Economies with lower shares are often driven by manufacturing – a sector that tends to employ women workers.
The data shows that women’s share of employment in the sector tends to be higher in countries where services exports contribute more than 50% to domestic value added, aligning with World Trade Organization findings that services trade can promote gender balance.
Yet developing countries struggle to fully benefit from the global shift to services-led growth. They account for just under 30% of global services export revenues, far below their 44% share of merchandise trade.
This gap could widen as intangible assets such as brands, designs, and patents become more dominant. Without targeted policies, services trade growth may not create enough high-quality jobs for women in developing economies.
Agriculture: Women’s contribution remains low
Agriculture employs large numbers of women in developing economies, but structural barriers – such as limited access to land, credit and modern technology – restrict their ability to benefit from trade. Gender norms further confine them to subsistence farming, limiting their participation in export-driven markets.
However, in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic, women’s share of domestic value added in agricultural exports approaches 50% or more. This is largely due to high female labour force participation in the sector, export-oriented industries and government policies supporting women in agribusiness.
Without targeted policies – including expanding land ownership rights, improving access to finance and providing training in modern techniques – the gender gap will persist. As sustainable agriculture and food security grow in importance, fully integrating women into agricultural trade is both an economic and developmental priority.
The path forward
UNCTAD’s trade and gender indicators reveal a persistent gender gap in tradable sectors, with women contributing less to domestic value added in exports.
Closing this gap requires country-specific analysis to identify the drivers and barriers shaping women’s participation in high-value sectors, backed by micro-data at the national level to guide policy action.
To make trade more inclusive, policies must expand women’s access to jobs in high-value sectors, strengthen labour rights and support their integration into larger enterprises engaged in global trade. Without targeted action, trade will continue to undervalue women workers, limiting economic progress and deepening structural inequalities.