13 December, 2012The Women’s Committee meeting on 11 December 2012 agreed on the need for a women’s structure within IndustriALL, as provided for in the Statutes, that meets before each Executive Committee meeting and pursues an agenda on women.
The Committee decided to establish a working group of 6 women, 1 from each of the regions of IndustriALL Global Union. The working group was charged with consulting within the regions and putting forward proposals to the next meeting on a process for the election of the chair and vice chair of the IndustriALL women's committee, to be conducted at the next meeting in May.
The working group will also develop proposals on the structure, membership, operation, objectives and broad agenda of the global Women's Committee for discussion and adoption at its next meeting and then endorsement by the May 2013 meeting of the Executive Committee of IndustriALL.
The meeting heard reports from each of the women present about the situation for women in their unions, industries and countries. Issues such as the gender pay gap, maternity protection, representation of women in union structures and violence against women were some of the issues raised by the women in their presentations.
Monika Kemperle, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, welcomed the participation of the women in the meeting and their commitment to working together internationally on an agenda to improve the situation for women.
“The work of this Committee will be crucial in delivering on the political agreement reached at the founding Congress to continue to work for a gender balance at all levels of leadership, decision-making bodies and sectoral structures of IndustriALL, now and in preparation for the Congress in 2016,” said Kemperle.