Glass Barriers: Constraints to Women's Small-Scale Cross-Border Trade in Cambodia and Lao PDR

Abstract

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Women and Trade: The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality

“…Traders at border crossings are particularly prone to harassment because they are subject to physical checks by border agents and other officials in positions of authority. Evidence from Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic suggests that women pay higher border taxes and are more likely to be controlled by quarantine services than male tradersand not because of a greater likelihood of illegal behavior (Seror, Record, and Clarke 2018). Similarly, women involved in smallscale cross-border trade in the Great Lakes Region of Africa are often subject to extortion, physical harassment, and other forms of abuse (Brenton et al 2011).…”