ICEM Women’s Bulletin: Will and Conquests

The ICEM Women’s Department is stronger and more keenly focused than ever before. The World Women’s Conference was a huge success, bringing 230 delegates from 47 countries to Seville, Spain. Coordinating committees of ICEM women are meeting and thriving in several countries and the goal is to create a women’s committee in each country with than one ICEM affiliate. Inspiring activities happened in Ghana, Vietnam, and Mexico, and informative details from those meetings follow in this edition of ICEM’s Women’s Newsletter.

1. Spain - More Women than ever Attend ICEM’s World Women’s Conference

FIA-UGT and FITEQA-CCOO were perfect hostesses for the Women’s Conference in Seville from 23-25 March 2011. The theme was “Dreams and Conquests,” and some 230 women were present from all continents.

The conference started with Conquests in Spain with a history visit by Matilde Fernández, former General Secretary of the predecessor union to FIA-UGT and an old friend of the ICEF. She is currently a government minister and is now a Senator of the Socialist Party PSOE. In Spain, the fight for equality between women and men started with the emergence of democracy. Equal opportunities were invisible in trade unions at that time. The constitution took the first step towards gender equality, but one article in the constitution does not mean equality. Rather, values and attitudes in society must change.

In 1983, the Women’s Institute was created. Specific policies were launched and positive action was introduced. In 1987, initiatives were taken to adapt legislation to the principles of equality and non-discrimination as well as to introduce quotas. The law requires democracy on the basis of parity. It also prioritizes sharing of responsibilities and combating of violence. One of the fundamentals is to recognize maternity and paternity as a social function and societal responsibility.

In 2007, the equality law was passed which contains the requirement to negotiate on equality plans. An evaluation phase began four years after the law’s enactment to assess what effects the law has had.

In 1984, the fight was to get women employed in Spain. In Europe, women already made up between 30-40% of trade union members. In Spain, 28% percent of the workforce was women and union membership was below 10%. Fernández said then there were three women General Secretaries in the UGT. Trade unions were seen to be men’s territory and hostile to women. It was clear that if there was something specific to address women’s needs in organizations, then women would be interested in them. By the year 2000, 30% of union members were women, due to positive action and actively training women leaders.

“We have good laws, but still we have to fight constantly. We have a law on dependent persons as well as the equality law, which are the two laws that women prefer. The challenges that we still face are the pay gap – the gap is not so great among low and high earners, but the gap is huge in the mid-range where most people work. One other fight is for decent work. And the other is for corporate social responsibility because companies do not have it. Nor do they take on responsibility for equality. If ever we lag in our fight, we have to start from the beginning once again. So the fight continues,” said Matilde Fernández.

Natividad Camacho used to be the General Secretary of the Textile Federation. She started working as a trade unionist during the Franco dictatorship when trade unions were underground. She explained the roles played by Virginia Gonzalez, Teresa Claramunt, Petra Cuevas, and Clara Campoamor in the struggles to maintain trade unions during the dictatorship. The textile industry used to be massive in Spain, but now only 250,000 people work in it. In Spain, 3% of companies are managed by women. The year 2011 is the year of chemistry and also marks 100 years since Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize for the second time. She and the four other women stand for all the women who fought in silence over the past century.

Miguel Lorente, the government expert on gender-based violence, presented figures on violence and machismo. According to his figures macho men earn more money. In the course of time, and after each crisis, there is always an emphasis on creating jobs for men in order not to call into question role models and the traditional family. Traditional gender roles are reinforced. Now gender impact has to be analysed in all acts carried out by the administration.

Four companies presented their work together with the trade unions on equality plans, BASF, Endesa, Repsol, and Saint Gobain. ICEM thanks the four companies for their support for the conference. Nuria Angli-Ritter presented BASF’s experiences with the equality plan; diversity and inclusion have become strategic factors. BASF’s percentage of women’s workers is 21.9% with 5.7% total women managers. In 2008, an equality plan was drawn up which provided for training and a protocol against harassment and bullying. In 2011, a new analysis was drawn up and the first equality report written. Intranet was created and work-life balance measures introduced as well as measures for women-friendly recruiting. As a result, women have been recruited into units that up to now were very masculine. There is a high level of awareness on the part of managers for equal opportunities. There is a will to increase the number of women in responsible jobs.

At Endesa, 81.5% of employees are men, said Lola Estrada. Endesa has satisfactory measures for work-life balance but traditional stereotypes persist in power structures and decision making. No women are on the company board, and few women are on management committees. At Repsol, the equality panel has been an agent for cultural change.

At Saint Gobain the equality plans focus on providing training, maternity protection, and eliminating gender-related violence. The point is to put equality work on an equal footing with quality control, health and safety, and the environment. Observatories have been set up to check how much progress has been made. To receive Lorente’s report in Spanish, or any of the company reports, write [email protected].

Presentations were made by comrades from Lukoil, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer and NUM, South Africa. At Lukoil, 39% of the 180,000 workers are women. Seven percent of managers are women, and 32% of middle managers are women.

In Spain, there is a discussion running currently on whether it is necessary to legislate a quota for women on company boards. At Johnson & Johnson the women need to be encouraged to participate in the committees. At Sanofi-Aventis the chair of the European Works Council is a woman. In 2011, 11 out of 40 members of the committee are women. In France, a recent law stipulates that there will be 40% women on company boards. Bayer is a chemical company in which 35% of the employees worldwide are women, and 30% are women from Germany. The company has guidelines for equal treatment and equal opportunities for women in Europe as well as policies on work-life balance. The goal is to achieve at least 30% women in management by 2015.

In Africa, multinationals take advantage without benefiting local populations. Biodiversity suffers, and environmental devastation is rampant. Women care for the sick who develop illnesses from environmental degradation. Skills development for women would be vital for Africa. One further recommendation is to improve the collection of data on the status of women in our industries.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 97% of the economy is informal and 80% of those are women. In eastern DRC, multinationals covet the mineral wealth while true peace eludes the entire country. The question is what we can do together to stop the violence.

In Seville, women took the floor from Colombia, Turkey, India, and Belarus. A presentation was made on work done by women in the mining industry in India to fight against HIV/AIDS. The work on maternity protection in Asia together with the ILO was presented. Molly Dhlamini from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) explained she had been in Sudan during the referendum to create Southern Sudan, and she also called on to reflect on the continuing conflict in West Sahara. The presentation from Mauritius focused on the informal economy and what the union is doing to integrate women there. Contract workers are encouraged to join the union, and for this purpose symbolic dues of one rupee per month were introduced, a sum which informal workers can afford. A popular bank was established to provide loans for people who otherwise have no access to credit.

Japanese presentations by comrades from Osaka Gas and Mitsubishi Rayon focused on the ageing society in Japan and what measures have been introduced to make it possible to reconcile working and family life. Japanese participants also thanked ICEM members for their solidarity at the time of and after the tsunami.

The presentation from Norway expressed the demand for women to be treated with respect as full members of society. CNQ/CUT from Brazil explained the union’s successes in collective bargaining, with equal opportunities clauses and successes in terms of maternity protection.

FITEQA-CCOO of Spain presented positive actions in collective bargaining. The point is to change mentalities and attitudes. They have parity between men and women in negotiations. Legislation has preceded and anticipated collective bargaining.

In South Africa, NUM has been negotiating for more women in mining because women have been seriously marginalized from core mining business, and out of higher-paid jobs. The feeling is that women need to be supported to move up to higher job levels including as engineers.

All delegations supported the draft resolution and proposed amendments. Consensus is that ICEM affiliates should form women’s committees in their own countries when there are multiple affiliates. The resolution will form the basis for the action program which will be moved at and adopted by Congress. The unanimous demand was for all delegations to come to Congress with women.

The women’s conference deplored the fact that no women participated from the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF). The ICEM General Secretary explained that the good work done by the women’s section of ICEM will find expression in the new organization and that women need not fear its creation. The General Secretary thanked profusely FIA-UGT and FITEQA-CCOO for their support for the women’s conference.

2. Ghana – Ghana Mineworkers Host Regional Women’s Conference

On 13 April, the Ghana Mineworkers Union hosted the ICEM’s Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Organisation’s (SSARO) women’s conference in Accra. The women looked at the situation in Africa in light of the ICEM Women’s Conference which took place just weeks before. It was found that there is a need to introduce work-life balance measures in Africa since more and more women need to reconcile work and family life.

Christine Olivier, new chair of the SSARO women’s structure

Work needs to be strengthened in connection with ILO Convention 183 on maternity protection. There is a need to promote women’s core competence and get women into training for engineering jobs. Women need to be trained in research skills. Unions should be looking at better data collection, especially to reflect women’s realities.

The SSARO women considered the resolution from the World Women’s conference and presented their amendments. The women in Africa have the will to create networks, also across regions. The need to campaign to stop the violence, especially in the DRC, was reiterated as was the need to campaign to promote the use of the female condom. More work needs to be done to get young women interested and integrated in trade unions.

Unfortunately, the meeting said farewell to Baru Khumo, and tribute was paid to her as chair of the SSARO women’s structure. New elections were held. The new chair will be Christine Olivier from the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the deputy chair is Jane Ragoo from the Chemical, Manufacturing and Connected Trades Employees’ Union (CMCTEU) of Mauritius. Thanks to the Ghana Mineworkers Union for being excellent hosts!

3. Mexico - IMF Holds Regional Women’s Workshop in Mexico City

On 2 May, the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) held a half-day regional women’s workshop in the framework of the regional meetings organized in Mexico City, also to celebrate May Day. The affiliated unions in the region were invited to participate with one woman and one man. The levels of women’s representation and women’s presence in industry differ greatly in the different countries of the region.

The highest levels are apparent in Trinidad and Tobago. In Argentina, women are welcome to work in mines, which was unheard of some years ago. Women drive the big trucks. Nevertheless, women’s concerns are the same as always – more employment for women, especially in the multinationals that are coming to invest, childcare and maternity leave, as well as equal opportunities. One more priority ought to be organizing women in the maquiladoras.

The women welcomed the fact that in the new industrial Global Union Federation will have a women’s section and a person at headquarters responsible for women workers, ideas which came from the ICEM side. Also, at an IMF Asia-Pacific meeting, a women’s workshop was held in Sydney where a common paper was adopted emanating from the organizations from the three GUFs in Australia and New Zealand. This paper calls for a 30% quota for women in the decision-making structures of the new organisation. It was endorsed by the joint executive committee of ICEM, IMF, and ITGLWF held in Geneva on 25 May.

4. Vietnam – ILO Sponsors Maternity Protection Workshop to Ratification ILO Convention 183

A workshop for ICEM, IMF, and ITGLWF affiliates was held on 22-23 February in Hanoi and hosted by the Vietnamese General Federation of Labour. The meeting was attended by women from Jordan, Indonesia, India, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Pakistan, and Vietnam. The women came from textiles, electronics, oil and gas and mining.

Laura Addati from the ILO presented the concepts and provisions of maternity protection. Maternity protection entails maternity leave, cash and medical benefits, health protection at work, employment protection and non-discrimination as well as arrangements for breastfeeding. Maternity leave should not be less than 14 weeks, since rest is important. In addition, work leave allows women time for proper breastfeeding. Maternity leave should be taken as a combination of pre- and post-natal leave, which the woman should be free to choose. Leave must be provided for the employed mother or father. The period, length, and benefits of the leave should be decided at national level.

Across all global regions, 20% of countries provide 18 weeks’ leave or more, thus meeting the requirements of Recommendation 191. Some 31% of countries meet the 14-17 weeks’ requirement in 183. Some 35% of countries provide 10-12 weeks of maternity leave, thus complying with the old convention and standards, and 14% of countries provide less than 12 weeks. Four countries around the world, including the US do not have maternity leave.

Again across the world, 30% of countries meet the provisions contained in ILO Convention 183. In Asia-Pacific, only 9% meet the provisions of Convention 183, one of which is Vietnam. The situation varies greatly throughout the region. For ratification, the ILO requires one criterion, and that is 14 weeks’ maternity leave. Three countries would be ready to ratify the convention because of the duration of the leave: Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. Thailand and Indonesia would only need to extend leave by one week.

Although maternity is not an illness, special health protection is required because in some workplaces there are risks that may affect reproductive health. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not be forced to perform work harmful to the health of the mother or the child. If a risk is found to exist, then several alternatives are possible: eliminate the risk; adapt the working conditions; transfer the woman to another job without loss in pay; and give the woman paid leave.

Maternity must not be a source of discrimination in getting a job. In this connection, pregnancy testing in hiring is prohibited. Women are also protected against dismissal, and the employer has the burden of proof to show that the dismissal was not pregnancy-related. And after giving birth the woman has the right to return to the same or similar job.

Breastfeeding is vital for the child’s health. The WHO states that 6 months should be the standard. Nursing mothers should be entitled to one or more daily breaks or a reduction in working time for breastfeeding purposes. Whenever possible, nursing facilities with proper hygiene should be provided at or near the workplace.

One crucial issue in maternity protection is the atypical forms of work. In Asia, the controversy is in the scope and not the duration of leave. Convention 183 covers all workers including casual workers in the informal economy, part-time workers, home workers, and workers in precarious work. Countries, however, may exclude workers, which often happens with temporary workers. Sometimes governments call for more flexible and/or progressive implementation, although flexibility should remain temporary. Nevertheless they must report on the measures taken to extend coverage. Legislation needs to be more inclusive. Women are over-represented in precarious work which is likely to be excluded from maternity protection.

Over ten years have passed since adoption of Convention 183, but there are only a few ratifications. This is, however, typical for recent conventions. Governments claim they cannot afford to pay for maternity protection, they say the economic situation is tough. They are reluctant to pay for social security and have no budget for it.

Jordan’s law is innovative because it shifts the liability from the employer to public funds and social security. ILO provided technical assistance for the legislation. The King and Queen were very involved in the legal process. Small and medium-sized enterprises are covered. This proves that with political commitment people stop thinking about the costs.

The Convention allows women to choose whether to give priority to pre- or post-natal leave. The pre-natal period depends on individual situations because risks and complications have a bearing on it. But that leave should not be subtracted from the total leave. If working conditions permit, pre-natal leave can be shortened. This leaves room for collective bargaining to improve on legislation.

The following are highlights from the discussion:

The government of India is making efforts to promote maternal health by reducing maternal mortality.

In Hong Kong, temporary workers have no protection. Women have to work for 40 weeks to get leave. That is why many women have no maternity leave. Even though Hong Kong is developed, there is still discrimination against maternity. The unions have a hot line where people can call to complain, and many do. When important categories of workers are excluded, that is discrimination.

Recent legislation in Australia addresses the issue of casual and temporary workers. The law provides for 18 weeks of leave for the primary care giver in addition to benefits from agreements, and the leave can be split. Australia has adoption leave.

In Malaysia, maternity leave went up from 60 to 90 days in the public sector. It is necessary to have a marriage certificate in order to benefit. At the electricity union Tenaga, benefits are paid to four wives but up to a maximum of 5 children. There is miscarriage leave for two weeks.

In Indonesia, workers who want to benefit from maternity leave or allowance also must present a marriage certificate. Article 1 of the Convention precludes discrimination based on marital status. The 2003 law was passed, but the protection is lower than what is provided in the Convention. A current survey shows that the current legislation has not been implemented. Some 11% of pregnant women are fired due to pregnancy.

How can we reconcile the six months of breastfeeding recommended by the WHO with shorter maternity leave? And what if women want to return to work before the leave is up? Social dialogue makes it possible to develop the best arrangements.

The government of Vietnam presented a report on maternity protection there. With maternity protection the aim is to improve the quality of the population, Article 111 of the Labour Code states that the employer cannot dismiss women with children under the age of 12 months. Maternal mortality has gone down over the last 20 years. Regulations in ILO Convention 183 contribute to maternal and child health. In reply to why the government has not yet ratified ILO Convention 183, the answer is that Vietnamese legislation has to be fine-tuned in order to be able to ratify Convention 183.

Some details in national arrangements are as follows:

In Japan, child care leave is available for one year at 50% pay. Women can take menstruation leave as long as necessary. In reply to whether this leave has discriminatory effects, the answer was that women do not always take the leave.

In the Philippines, check-ups are paid, and women get time off. Women may be transferred to lighter work starting from the fourth month of pregnancy.

In connection with the reports on the sectors in the textile industry it is safe to say that in Asia women are not in top leadership. Women’s needs are not taken as a priority.

In the Philippines, women make up 70% of the membership, but men make up the leadership. It is important to ensure that women are trained to negotiate.

In the textile industry in Indonesia, 80% of membership is women. It is hard to convince men to take women’s needs seriously. Eight out of 88 leaders in six provinces are women. It is only at plant level with strong women that it is possible to negotiate on women’s needs. The number of strong women is low. Short-term and casual contracts are a problem which means that women have no maternity leave.

In Malaysia, in the union Tenaga, 15% of its members are women. Since 1949, there have been no women leaders. The company manager is a woman. Childcare is only accessible to permanent workers. Contract workers, about 100 out of 14,000 permanent staff, only work at the call centre.

In the electronics industry in Indonesia, 70-80% of workers are women. Thirty percent of the structure is women. The rules say that all levels must have 30% women representation. The women were able to convince the men that if the women were not members, then the union would collapse.

In Thailand, it was possible to get maternity leave for contract workers. The ICEM-affiliated GPO pharmaceuticals union has a joint union-management committee where negotiations are held. There are 600 contract workers and 1,000 permanent. The process is ongoing for equalization of contract workers. The first item is job security, and the second is to provide the same maternity benefits as for the permanent workers. Thirdly, health benefits were provided for the worker and the family. Permanent workers have annual bonuses but not contract workers. When contract workers pushed for benefits, the woman negotiator Araya convinced the men to accept the arrangement because she is well respected and active. Even management was less well prepared.

EGAT, the electric power union, learned from GPO. The union wanted to recruit the contract workers. The joint management-union committee took up the issue of regularizing contract workers. Out of 600, 500 are being regularized. The 100 are entitled to the same benefits as the permanent workers.

With the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU) of Australia, the union is 97% men. There are no women in power generation. At Shell, out of 200 operators, five are women. Women in administration can work part-time. With women who work in male-dominated industries, the crux is to raise the critical mass of women. As far as union representation is concerned, in the ACTU unions that have women are entitled to extra representation.

In Indonesia, no company provides childcare in spite of government decrees. Now, three companies have opened up space for women to express their breast milk.

In Jordan, women work in industrial zones. Women have insurance from their husbands. The union provides two health centres in the zones and care for the women who do not have health insurance. Women prefer to leave the children near their homes or else with the grandmothers. Government provides health insurance for all children. Negotiations are on to increase maternity leave from 10 weeks to 13 in the private sector.

The working groups had the assignment to look at follow-up from the workshop. The groups were divided up in general on a national basis with one group including those who were there individually. The task was:

Advocacy and Awareness Raising on Maternity Protection

• The issue – the priorities 
• The solutions – feasibility, objectives 
• Alliances 
• The message 
• Methods
  Tactics – striking data, focus
  Tools – media 
• Action plan
• Negotiations and other ways for women to influence the agenda
• Evaluation

In Malaysia, it is a question of ratifying ILO Convention 183 and improving maternity protection and benefits for women. Women want childcare and the possibility to breastfeed. The demand is for maternity protection for contract workers.

In the Philippines, a joint GUF action is contemplated. In Hong Kong, the idea is to mobilise on 8 March, 1 May, and 1 July to organise a rally to highlight Convention 183. China must ratify it. The strategy is to pressure the Hong Kong Labor Department to push the Chinese government to ratify.

In Pakistan, aside from wages one issue for negotiations will be maternity protection. The environment has to be created for ratification. Workers, also informal workers, need to be organized, especially those who are not covered by social protections.

In Indonesia, the ILO Convention is not well known, not by union leaders, or by women members. Labor law is not well implemented. Women workers are not a priority, and women therefore need better representation. Women’s issues are relegated to the women’s department, not to general advocacy. There is no women’s budget and no women’s influence. Convention 183 would mean better protection than the law now has, so the law would have to be amended.

Maternity protection is often violated for contract workers. Maternity leave is often unpaid. Often when women go back to work, someone else has taken their job. There is discrimination in maternity pay. The assumption is that the maternity pay will be covered by the husband. Contract workers are not allowed to be pregnant. The threat is that the contract will be terminated when the woman is pregnant. Miscarriage leave is not allowed for the whole time unless there is a doctor’s certificate. Women workers need to show the marriage certificate in order to apply for maternity leave. Some contracts only mention benefits for the first wife. For all of these reasons it is necessary to create more awareness.

The campaign for advocacy in Indonesia can start by forming alliances between unions and NGOs. Messages can be formulated for different levels. To union leaders the message can be “There is no justice without women’s rights.” To union members the message can be “Maternity protection is the future for the next generation.” To the government the message can be “Ratify ILO Convention 183 Now!”

In Vietnam, 80% of workers have maternity protection. A recent law was passed on domestic violence which has the support of women and men. Childcare is still not available generally near workplaces. The National Assembly needs to be approached for promoting gender equality. Women in rural and mountainous areas need to be targeted for increased awareness. One further step is to persuade the government to ratify Convention 183 by 2015.

The following areas of work need to be done to move forward toward ratification of ILO Convention 183:

• Promote the principles contained in the convention as well as the ratification process
• Raise awareness and insist on implementation of existing legislation
• Strengthen national legislation
• Enhance workplace education and services in connection with health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling, breastfeeding facilities, childcare
• Promote women’s representation and maternity rights
• Enhance research efforts on maternity protection
• Become active on social security
• Campaign to make laws more gender-sensitive

5. China – Women’s Committees Are Formed by all Unions

The All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) has pledged to form a female employee's committee under every trade union, reports a Chinese website. At least 85% of trade unions in China will form the committees this year, according to ACFTU vice-chairman Zhang Shiping. The ratio will be increased to 95% in 2012, with all committees formed by 2013, according to the news site. Female employees' committees exist in 77.6% of Chinese trade unions at present. The website says contracts to recognise rights such as maternity leave, equal pay and equal promotion opportunities would also help female employees.

6. Colombia – ICEM Celebrates 8 March

The ICEM held its 15th national women’s meeting on 8-9 March to coincide with International Women’s Day. This time ICEM was joined by women from IMF affiliates Utrammicol and Fetramecol. Special representatives were present from the flower producers. There were several presentations by politicians and academics on topics of concern to women in a patriarchal society such as Colombia. It was remarked that it is the system itself that divides women and men, without necessarily being men the ones responsible for gender oppression. The fight for gender rights is just one more fight in the capitalist system. Once again emphasis was put on women’s self-esteem and self-confidence, which are still obstacles to women’s full participation. Women were given tasks to develop their leadership. Different types of power and leadership were analysed. The women felt that the workshop encouraged them to continue fighting.

From our Readers:

Isabel Madrigal from SITRAPEQUIA, Costa Rica writes:

“Gender-related collective bargaining was the course organized at the ILO from 28 March to 15 April in Turin, Italy. Isabel Madrigal from Sitrapequia, Erica Hidalgo and Yenni Laruie from Fenatrapech, Chile, attended the course representing ICEM.

The course had two modules which mark the ILO priorities for creating more and better jobs for women and decent work. Wages and salaries are one key element in decent work, and decent work is also characterized by equality, no direct or indirect discrimination, and freedom from harassment, no vertical or horizontal job segregation and equal pay. Equal pay between men and women is one challenge that still has not been met anywhere in the world. One way of making progress toward equal pay is through collective bargaining.

Representatives from Comisiones Obreras presented their experiences with equality plans. Work-life balance is part and parcel of equality plans – work-life balance goes beyond the concept of joint responsibility, it has a bearing on working conditions. Moreover it is women who make up the majority of informal workers, part-time workers, workers on fixed-term contracts and home workers. Responsibilities at home have to be shared by women and men and must be the object of public policies.”

Hillary Chiz from USW, United States reports that “Paid Family Leave Can Help Drive Economic Growth.”

Betsey Stevenson, the chief economist in the US Department of Labor, finds that paid family leave can help drive economic growth by removing barriers to productivity and making it possible to choose jobs based on how well people can work on them instead of the benefits they offer. Research shows that women are working more and more in traditional men’s jobs, with men spending more time at home caring for families. Most workers rely on a patchwork of benefits, but these situations are more trying for precarious workers. Laws allow people to take unpaid time off, but many workers cannot afford it. In addition, although women are more often college graduates in the general population, in the workforce more men have degrees. That is because women are less able than men to combine work and family responsibilities. This is a factor that hurts overall productivity and growth. Integrating work and family needs would make it possible to unleash resources and grow as a society.

Resources:

Organización femenina popular fights for human rights and against all forms of violence

Council of Europe and violence 

Site in France on equal opportunities