9 December, 2015Implementing and achieving a 40 per cent quota for women’s representation at IndustriALL Global Union dominated the women’s committee meeting in Phnom Penh on 8 December.
The meeting took place on the eve of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee in Cambodia and follows a unanimous resolution from women at the September world conference in Vienna calling for the quota.
Monika Kemperle, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:
It is not something we have done lightly. It is a task we in the women’s committee have been entrusted with. We must make sure that the representation of women becomes part of all our statutes, decision-making bodies and structures of IndustriALL.
Kemperle noted that the Equality Charter, also adopted at the Vienna world conference, should also be referred to going forward:
“The Executive should also discuss these issues and take responsibility for the needs of women and the protection of women. It should be a top down and also bottom up process.”
A task force representative of different sectors and regions is working on a proposal for concrete steps to increase women’s representation in IndustriALL structures. The aim is to implement the quota in the IndustriALL statutes and all relevant documents at congress in Rio, Brazil in October 2016.
Importantly, the women’s committee asked that all affiliates be encouraged to adhere to the 40 per cent quota in their nominations for Executive Committee positions in Rio.
It was again mentioned that Articles 28 and 29 of the IndustriALL statutes need to be revised.
There were proposals for the Women’s Committee to become a Standing Committee, with the Chair becoming automatic Vice-President of IndustriALL or a similar leadership position.
There was also a call for IndustriALL assistance to build women membership in affiliate unions.
In the meantime, women’s issues, including representation, health, violence against women and maternity protection, should be included in all IndustriALL activities.
Finally, the committee praised the leadership of Carol Bruce who retired as IndustriALL Women and Non-manual Director in October and is succeeded by Monika Kemperle.