This study evaluates the impact of trade liberalization and reductions in trade barriers on
gender wage inequality in Egypt by using recent Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey
(ELMPS 06) and comparing two years representing early stage (1998) and advanced
stage in trade liberalization (2006). The analysis focused on private sector workers, and
compared workers in tradable sectors (sectors in direct competition with the foreign
trade) with workers in non-tradable sectors (not in direct competition with foreign
goods). Not only wage discrimination was observed regardless of sector of employment,
but also deterioration was detected. Results also indicate that tradable sectors have
experienced proportionately higher levels of wage differences between men and women
than non-tradable sectors.