A N A LY S I S GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ORDER A WHOLE AGREEMENT APPROACH – towards gender mainstreaming in the AfCFTA Nadira Bayat March 2022 The AfCFTA Agreement offers a major opportunity for em­powering women in different economic roles; however, gains will not be automatic. A whole agreement approach will not result from one specific, isolated intervention, but from a comprehensive and integrated approach that involves multiple areas, sectors and stakeholders. The socio-cultural construct of gender means that women must navigate various other impediments, including limita­tions on time and mobility arising from unpaid domestic responsibilities. Limited skills and knowledge of product packaging, branding, and marketing can restrict women’s participation to the lower nodes of value chains.