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8 September, 2005
Contents:
1. 280 million women are victims of inequality in Latin America
2. Brazil - Women's Leadership in Força Sindical
3. Brazil - FETIESC seminar on discrimination
4. Russia - 100 years of trade union women
5. Finland - Gender gap narrowing
6. Germany - sustainable family policies
7. United States - men doing more housework?
8. Resources
1. 280 million women are victims of inequality in Latin America
A recent Argentine study reveals that more than 280 million women in Latin America suffer from inequality compared to men. The author of the study claims that 20% of women in the region cannot read and write, and 30% of women are heads of household. One other detail is that only 36 out of the 100 most important companies in Latin America have women at the highest level on boards, and in only 5.1% are women in middle management. In Mexico only three major companies are managed by women, which means that it ranks third in the region behind Venezuela and Brazil. At worldwide level the country ranking first in this connection is the United States and last Japan.
2. Brazil - Women's Leadership in Força Sindical
On the eve of the Força Sindical Congress in Sao Paulo, the women's department held a conference attended by 100 women leaders from 30 July to 1 August.
3. Brazil - FETIESC seminar on discrimination
FETIESC held a seminar on discrimination against women at its school from 3 to 5 August to discuss the changes in the world of work and how they affect relations between women and men and their impact on the family, the union and society. The seminar was attended by women from CLAMT, the Latin American Women Workers' Commission, made up of representatives from Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Debates focused on collective bargaining and challenges to end discrimination in terms of gender and race, as well as the struggle to end violence against women.
4. Russia - 100 years of trade union women
A conference was held in Moscow from 30 June to 2 July on Women for Unions - Unions for Women to celebrate the centennial of Russian trade unions. A book was published on women's leadership with the history of women in trade unions and biographies of key women, including ICEM Vice-President Evgenia Esenina. Much of the history of Russian trade unions was written by women. Even today women make up more than 50% of trade union members. Gender equality is a major part of the work done by the FNPR confederation and is the object of Congress resolutions. Gender equality is relevant among other things to the labor market, social guarantees, health and safety, unemployment. Women and men must commit themselves to it.
5. Finland - Gender gap narrowing
In the fourth quarter of 2004 the wages of men in Finnish industry were 22% higher than women's. This meant a relative improvement over 2002, when the gender-related pay gap still amounted to 24%.
6. Germany - sustainable family policies
On 28 July 2005 IGBCE adopted a position paper on successful family policies together with the Federal Minister for Families, Seniors, Women and Youth that involve family policies for works councils and define trade unions' roles for a future with more children. Trade unions and politicians are both responsible for sustainable family policies to combine equal opportunities with economic dynamics. The Alliance for the Family made up of industry, trade unions and political parties supports modern family policies to achieve better work-life balance. Industry needs the potential offered by well trained women. Parental leave, family allowances and childcare are elements of family friendly policies that can be achieved by company agreements and collective agreements.
7. United States - men doing more housework?
In dual-earner couples, the dominant family form in the United States, men's handling of household chores and childcare has increased steadily since 1977, according to a recent study by the Families and Work Institute. Moreover, the time women in these couples spend in such tasks has either decreased or stayed the same over the same period. For example, in 1977 employed fathers in dual-earner couples with children spent on average 1.3 hours per workday on household chores compared to 3.7 for employed mothers. By 2002, the comparable figures were two hours per day for fathers and three for mothers. The researchers speculate that if these trends continue, the housework gap will close entirely.
The nurturing gap has also closed considerably. In 1977, employed fathers in dual-earner couples allocated 1.9 hours per work day to their children compared to 3.3 hours for employed mothers. By 2003, when the comparable figures for dual-earner couples were 2.7 hours for fathers and 3.5 hours for mothers, the gap had narrowed by 57%.
American men seem to do more housework and childcare than men in other industrialized countries such as France, Italy, Germany and Japan, according to the Council on Contemporary Families. The US government, however, was last on the list in providing programs and benefits for families. Other research tells us that men, especially young men, want more time with their families. Men between the ages of 20 and 39 were more likely to give family matters top billing over career success, a national survey by the Radcliffe Public Policy Center found. 82% put family first, and 71% said they would sacrifice part of their pay to have more time with their families. This agrees with surveys conducted by DuPont and Merck and Co.
8. Resources
For websites on gender issues, please see www.eldis.org/gender/ and www.socialwatch.org, which is also available in Spanish.