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26 November, 2000
It does not matter where you work -- in a private company or a trade union or the public sector, training and education is the best long-term investment one can make.
The latest example I've seen to bear this out was last week when I attended the IMF's African Regional Conference in Benoni, South Africa.
After years of activities which aimed at getting increased women's participation in the IMF, the result is very positive, at least in Africa. The 15 women who attended the conference showed very clearly that they can and will contribute to the development of IMF policy and strategy. In fact, their participation is essential.
This was possible, I believe, because the projects we started a few years ago were discussed and elaborated in close cooperation with the women themselves.
At last week's conference, we did not discuss so-called women problems, but general problems of importance which concern everybody, such as: collective bargaining, organising the unorganised, unemployment, etc.
The issue now is how we can get women participating in all of the IMF's activities, and not just the Regional Conference in Africa.
An interesting project has been elaborated by our Regional Office in Latin America which aims at bringing female metalworkers from different regions together to share their experiences and see how they can adopt similar actions in different parts of the world. The initiative seems like a very good one to me and should be encouraged.
This is not the first time that we try it, but the difference now is that the programme has been developed by the women themselves, and not by men as in the past.
We have a lot to learn from African women. And we must definitely listen to them and respect their opinion.
We hope to see all of them and many, many more at the IMF's Congress in Sydney a year from now.
Sisters, welcome to the IMF!
The latest example I've seen to bear this out was last week when I attended the IMF's African Regional Conference in Benoni, South Africa.
After years of activities which aimed at getting increased women's participation in the IMF, the result is very positive, at least in Africa. The 15 women who attended the conference showed very clearly that they can and will contribute to the development of IMF policy and strategy. In fact, their participation is essential.
This was possible, I believe, because the projects we started a few years ago were discussed and elaborated in close cooperation with the women themselves.
At last week's conference, we did not discuss so-called women problems, but general problems of importance which concern everybody, such as: collective bargaining, organising the unorganised, unemployment, etc.
The issue now is how we can get women participating in all of the IMF's activities, and not just the Regional Conference in Africa.
An interesting project has been elaborated by our Regional Office in Latin America which aims at bringing female metalworkers from different regions together to share their experiences and see how they can adopt similar actions in different parts of the world. The initiative seems like a very good one to me and should be encouraged.
This is not the first time that we try it, but the difference now is that the programme has been developed by the women themselves, and not by men as in the past.
We have a lot to learn from African women. And we must definitely listen to them and respect their opinion.
We hope to see all of them and many, many more at the IMF's Congress in Sydney a year from now.
Sisters, welcome to the IMF!