12 April, 2013Women discuss gender challenges facing IndustriALL in Latin America and the Caribbean
More than 70 women trade union leaders attended an IndustriALL women's workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss how to strengthen women’s role in trade unions and how to deal with the challenges facing them.
Fernando Lopes, Jorge Almeida, Carol Bruce of IndustriALL and Brazilian members of the executive committee, Eunice Cabral and Monica Veloso, welcomed a large delegation of Argentinian women from various industrial sectors to a workshop co-organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Argentina.
Delegates from affiliates in Brazil, Colombia, Curaçao and Honduras also contributed to this discussion on how to strengthen women's participation in trade unions.
The workshop discussed equal pay for men and women, sharing of family responsibilities and how our societies organise care services. Carol Bruce, IndustriALL’s Director for Women and Non-Manual Workers made a presentation on good practice in Europe.
IndustriALL executive committee members announced an action plan aimed at ensuring women's participation in IndustriALL's management structures. The plan is designed to improve women’s participation in IndustriALL's policy making; guarantee information and communication; develop networks with a gender perspective; conduct a mapping exercise of women workers’ leaders in each economic sector; and encourage women to participate in unity councils on an equitable basis.
Finally, the meeting agreed to create a regional women's committee composed of women members of the executive committee and the subregional coordination committees, bringing together women from the different economic sectors in which IndustriALL has affiliates.
These initiatives will be proposed, debated and approved at the regional meeting and in this way constitute a concrete action by IndustriALL’ executive committee.