UK-India Trade Deal to Unlock Trade Opportunities for Women

• West Yorkshire leaders will gather in Leeds on 16 October
• The discussion will be on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement's gender chapter and women's prospects for trade

Business, policy and academic leaders from across West Yorkshire will come to Leeds on 16 October to hear how the UK-India Free Trade Agreement's (FTA) gender chapter can unlock new trade opportunities for women.

The half-day forum, "Women, Trade and the UK-India Future: A West Yorkshire Perspective", is hosted by Womble Bond Dickinson with support from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The forum will bring together negotiators, lawyers, historians, and local exporters to explore how the gender provisions of the FTA can help regional businesses and develop West Yorkshire's trade with India. The forum will also explore realistic steps to make international trade more inclusive.

The conference precedes the Northern Trade Delegation to India, organized by ISS Airview during 12–20 November.

The eight-day mission is designed to meet with top policymakers, business executives, and trade facilitators in India to provide insights on market entry strategy, regulatory frameworks, and emerging opportunities created by the FTA.

The Leeds forum will start with an address by Sharon Jandu OBE, NPH Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum Director of Strategic Partnerships and External Engagements for India, and then a keynote presentation by Vine Pemberton Joss, women's suffrage movement historian, on the life and legacy of Dr Edith Pechey, Yorkshire's first doctor in India.

The morning session will be wrapped up with remarks by Rose Smalley-Gordon, Managing Associate, Womble Bond Dickinson, then lunch and networking.

Addressing the event prior to its occurrence, Sharon Jandu OBE pointed out that the scheme is designed to support women entrepreneurs and West Yorkshire exporters to reap the rewards of the UK-India trade agreement.

She noted that the gender provisions of the FTA appreciate that trade isn't gender-neutral and underlined the need to translate commitments into real support for business leaders.

Vine Pemberton Joss added that Dr Pechey's life shows the necessity of long-term institutional transformation in facilitating fair trade.