This paper focuses on the relationship of trade, on the one hand, with gender and poverty, on the other, within the context of the human development paradigm. Specifically, it examines the impact of trade liberalization on gender inequalities (primarily via employment, wages and the care economy) and the impact of gender inequality on trade performance. These interactions are discussed in light of main-stream literature on trade, growth and poverty reduction, which defines poverty in terms of income or consumption and largely ignores gender. The paper also considers the policy implications of a gender-aware approach to international trade analysis and the current world trade regime.