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19 November, 2007
The ICEM Women’s Committee concluded its two-day conference yesterday, 18 November, in Bangkok, Thailand, shaping a seven-point work plan for future activities. The 180 women present also elected a new vice president to the ICEM’s Presidium.
Angeline Chitambo, a leader in Zimbabwe’s Energy and Electricity Workers’ Union (ZEEWU), was elected to one of two statutory positions for women on ICEM’s Presidium. She replaces Binda Pandy of Nepal, who did not seek re-election due to her increased role in the national labour centre GEFONT in her home country. Evgenia Esenina, chair of the Women’s Committee from the Russian Oil and Gas Workers’ Union (ROGWU), was unanimously endorsed to continue serving in the other Women’s seat.
Chair Evgenia Esenina and Vice-chair Angeline Chitambo
The forward work plan includes: Engaging in more research on best practices regarding maternity protection; active exchange of information through ICEM’s Women’s newsletter on country by country activities concerning women and work; a continuation of work on the work-life balance, specifically maternity and paternity leave; and the strengthening of work toward and training of workers in informal sectors, including casual workers, migrant workers, and women workers in agency labour or on short-term labour contracts.
The other three points include: Building alliances with NGOs and other civil society organisations, and changing men’s mentality to expand gender equality; continuation of women’s leadership training and expanding women’s representation; and continuing work specifically in Burma, Colombia, Iraq, Nepal, Palestine, Zimbabwe, and other countries in which the fight for trade union and human rights must be engaged.
On the left, GUEWT President Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein
A special feature of the Women’s Committee meeting, which leads into this week’s 4th ICEM World Congress, was a presentation by Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of the General Union of Iraq Electricity Workers and Technicians (GUEWT). The union became ICEM’s first affiliate earlier this year from war-torn Iraq. She told the assembled about the difficulties fledging trade unions face in Iraq, as well as the struggle to shape a secular society in which women play major roles.
Other reports came from pro-democracy groups in Burma, the continuing fight to form a just society in Nepal, and work being done by women in Thailand to bring full rights and permanent jobs to contract workers. The conference also included two break-out sessions; one on work-life balance and maternity protection, the other on resolutions submitted to this week’s ICEM Congress, which runs 22-24 November at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre in Bangkok.