May 8, 2002

by NOW Staff

As the Senate began what is expected to be a heated, lengthy floor debate on "fast track" trade legislation earlier this month, the National Organization for Women joined 134 other groups in publicly denouncing the bill, which would greatly expand the president's authority to negotiate international trade deals.

The Baucus/Grassley Trade Promotion Authority bill nearly mirrors the House bill that passed by just one vote in December. Under the bill, Congress gives up its authority to change or even have extended debate on any trade deals negotiated by the President, and can only vote them up or down.

In a letter to senators, the coalition describes Baucus/Grassley as a "backwards-looking approach to trade policy" and calls on the Senate to instead support international trade and investment policies that protect the environment, ensure that trade benefits are shared broadly, and allow ordinary citizens to participate in developing policies that affect their daily lives.

Many opponents of "fast track" believe the expansion of presidential authority in international trade would aid powerful corporations searching the globe for cheap labor, lowering standards for workers’ rights, public health and education, consumer rights and environmental laws worldwide, and causing developing countries to become even more impoverished.

"Fast track legislation consistently overlooks the rights of workers in developing countries. In the race toward economic globalization, poor women are at a particular disadvantage," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "NOW stands firmly against the Baucus/Grassley bill and any international trade policy that does not protect women workers around the world."

According to the Feminist Majority (www.feminist.org), "fast track" legislation puts women around the globe at risk:

• Current international trade agreements, like NAFTA, violate the rights of women workers. Women workers in many factories located in export processing zones (EPZs) have reported physical abuse, sexual harassment and violence, and mandatory pregnancy testing as a condition for employment. Women workers in the zones are forced to work long hours for extraordinarily low wages in poor working conditions. More than 200 women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico have been murdered, many of them on their way to and from their work in the zones.

• Privatization of services reduces women's access to affordable education and health care. Trade agreements that further reduce the government's ability to subsidize health care, education, energy and water for its citizens will hurt women disproportionately. The privatization of basic services allows corporate profit to take precedence over women's lives.

• Commercialization of agriculture creates financial hardships for women. Since NAFTA, women farmers have suffered from the increased role of agribusiness that has destabilized small and family farms.