in many countries trade liberalization has led to a reduction in government revenues with implications for policies to support gender equality trade agreements between countries also often have provisions that limit the policies that individual governments can adopt such as measures that aim to promote and support domestic productive activities and investment such agreements frequently have different consequences for women s and men s employment yet issues of gender equality are rarely considered therefore it should incorporate additional targets such as real productive activity employment or incomes in addition central banks can use their regulatory power to channel credit to uses that support the realization of rights and promote gender equality policies and regulations can also encourage credit to be extended to improve housing stimulate jobcreating investments or promote access to loans for selfemployed workers in informal activities many of whom are women