The most common provisions we find in almost all multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements are the exception clauses that allow countries to protect public morals, humans, animals or plant health and life and conserve exhaustible natural resources. If countries can allow trade-restrictive measures that aim to protect these non-economic interests, is it possible to negotiate a specific exception to justify measures that are aimed at protecting women’s economic interests as well? Is the removal of barriers that impede women’s participation in trade any less important than the conservation of exhaustible natural resources such as sea turtles or dolphins? In that context, this article prepares a case for the inclusion of a specific exception that can allow countries to leverage women’s economic empowerment through international trade agreements. This is done after carrying out an objective assessment of whether a respondent could seek protection under the existing public morality exception to justify a measure that is taken to protect women’s economic interests.

中文翻译：

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不只是海龟，我们也要保护女性：援引公共道德例外或在贸易协定中谈判新的性别例外？

我们在几乎所有多边、区域和双边贸易协定中发现的最常见条款是允许各国保护公共道德、人类、动物或植物的健康和生命并保护可枯竭的自然资源的例外条款。如果各国可以允许旨在保护这些非经济利益的贸易限制措施，是否有可能通过谈判制定一个具体的例外来证明旨在保护妇女经济利益的措施是正当的？消除阻碍妇女参与贸易的壁垒是否比保护海龟或海豚等可枯竭的自然资源更重要？在这种情况下，本文准备了一个案例，以包含一个特定的例外，该例外可以允许各国通过国际贸易协定利用妇女的经济赋权。这是在客观评估被告是否可以根据现有的公共道德例外情况寻求保护以证明为保护妇女经济利益而采取的措施的合理性之后进行的。