Mercosur: A Tool to Further Women's Rights in the Member Nations

The author argues that Mercosur, a free trade agreement between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, can and should be used as a tool to enhance the status of women within the member nations by adopting structural changes that prioritize women's issues. The author provides an overview of women's social and economic position within each of these countries, of the present structure of the agreement, as well as the ways in which trade affects women in general. She counters the argument that trade agreements should not address social issues, and presents several arguments as to why women's issues in particular should be included. In conclusion, the author offers several recommendations on how to give women's issues greater priority.