28 February, 2017With 8 March less than two weeks away, IndustriALL Global Union affiliates are getting ready to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Affiliates in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines will be mobilizing to demand better maternity rights and benefits. In Sri Lanka there will be rallies in the north of the country where women suffer particularly poor working conditions and low wages. In Latin America, IndustriALL affiliates will be taking action in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
In virtually every society in the world, women are underrepresented in positions of leadership and power. The gender pay gap stands at 24 per cent globally.
This year, the United Nations’ theme for 8 March is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”. Gender equality is at theheart of the UN’s sustainable development goals for 2030.
IndustriALL and its affiliates around the world work continuously to organize women workers, develop women’s leadership in unions, achieve equal pay and equal representation, guarantee maternity protection and end violence against women, among other issues.
Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, said:
“IndustriALL’s aim is to engage and organize more women workers and fight for equal opportunities and equal pay. We are working together with IndustriALL affiliates to strengthen women’s representation at local, national and global level and to reinforce women’s leadership in unions. At our last Congress, we set a target of 40 per cent women’s representation throughout all levels of IndustriALL decision-making bodies and now we must act to make this happen.”
IndustriALL is calling on affiliated unions to report back on their actions and send pictures to Armelle Seby [email protected] and [email protected]. Please use the hashtag #ALLWomen on social media.