Susan Barton is the Head of Trade and Gender Policy at FCDO UK Department of Trade and Investment.
Susan Barton works for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, on inclusive trade strategy, and trade diplomacy. Previously she worked for the UK Government’s Department for International Trade, developing and implementing a gender-responsive trade policy.
Prior to joining the UK Government, Susan ran her own Fair Trade business, supporting communities in India by purchasing directly from local producers. She has held Directorships in several charities and businesses in the Global South, supporting export and economic development.
During her government career, Susan has focused on ensuring that trade is at the service of citizens and helps deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. This includes advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment and ensuring alignment between trade policy and international development objectives. Susan is passionate about the need for better data to ensure evidence-based policymaking and has worked extensively to further these agendas across multilateral platforms such as WTO, G7 and G20.