March 8, International Women’s Day, is a day of primary importance for all women’s movements and for trade unions whose fight for equality is year-round. It is the day to reflect on the struggle for equality, to remember those who started the fight and to support those committed to its continuation.
The IUF is committed to that struggle. At the 2023 IUF Women’s Conference a new Action Program for Equality for 2023-2027 was adopted and endorsed by the 28th Congress. The program is based on 5 pillars:
- more women, more powerful unions
- women’s employment
- making women visible in occupational health and safety
- preventing and eliminating gender-based violence and harassment; and
- building a women friendly working environment
The members of the Women’s Committee report annually on the progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action and the IUF EC monitors results including women’s participation in IUF Governing Bodies.
March 8 is also an opportunity for self-reflection. What do we do in our own movement to ensure women’s employment and that our union workplaces are women friendly? How are we ensuring women can move into union leadership positions and are part of the decision-making process? Do we make sure gender-based violence and harassment do not happen within unions? If we do not do this our credibility to challenge both employers and governments on women’s equality is undermined. Trade unions themselves must be exemplary in terms of equality. This requires equal representation at all levels of union structures, including in negotiating teams and policies and procedures in place to tackle sexual harassment in our movement.
“It is also impossible to move forward without ending violence and sexual harassment within our own structures. This problem exists, but it is too often silenced. It needs to be tackled head-on without further delay.” Patricia Alonso, Chair of the IUF Women’s Committee.
