Indian free-trade deal hurts women and indigenous people, rights group says
Mumbai — A regional free-trade agreement being negotiated in India this week will hurt the livelihoods of farmers, women and indigenous groups, and increase conflicts over land as businesses get easier access, rights groups said on Tuesday. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would create a free-trade area of more than 3.5-billion people, bringing together China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Southeast Asian nations. Talks began in 2012, and it is currently the only mega free-trade agreement being negotiated globally. The 16 nations aim to conclude negotiations by the end of 2017. Campaigners who met in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, which is hosting the RCEP negotiations, are protesting against the deal, calling it "anti-farmer, anti-women and anti-poor", and are asking governments to protect their rights. "Women farmers are going to be the worst affected by this agreement, which will encourage more land grabbing for cor...
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