1. leadership initiative: females in trade unions ETUC Gender Mainstreaming Conference 5/6 March 2007 Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

2. The LIFT Development Partnership (DP) Institute of Public Administration Irish Congress of Trade Unions National Centre for Partnership and Performance LIFT Transnational Partners CONFIO (Spain) UGT Estremedura FIC (Denmark) Lo Copenhagen € 1.4M Fund “combating all forms of exclusion, discrimination and inequalities in the labour market” Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

3. Current reality facing women in accessing and participating fully in the labour market: Lack of affordable childcare / elder care Gender pay gap / pensions gap Career advancement – vertical and horizontal segregation Reconciliation of work / life balance Lack of participation in decision-making structures Lack of recognition of ‘care labour’ – unpaid contribution The impact upon women of multiple discrimination Access to further education and training Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

4. Key Experiences for Women in Irish Trade Unions 25% of Union Officials 26% of Elected Officers 4% of General Secretaries 98% of Administrative Staff ‘Male, pale and stale’ culture dominates… Hierarchical model prevails Reliance on ‘long-hours’ ‘Male’ constructs of leadership Lack of ‘HRD’ in succession-planning Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

5. Informal Networks “You have to lead a very bureaucratic organisation governed by an old rule book, so you get tied up in endless meetings”. TU General Secretary Recruitment and Promotions ‘Male’ Gendered Culture “I didn’t have an MBA or degree or anything at the time and I just held back despite my experience.” Senior TU Female “Men tend to judge an issue in terms of the politics … women in terms of fairness.” TU General Secretary “Every woman involved in their trade union needs a wife at home!” Senior TU Female Factors contributing to vertical segregation Accepted ‘constructs’ of leadership Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

6. Congress’ Response – Promotion of Equality for Women Designated Women’s Committees Advocacy / Collaboration Policy-Making Institutions BDC / SDC Motions on Equality Equality-related Guidelines Strategic Initiatives: such as the LIFT Programme Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

7. LIFT – Programme of Strategic Change Interventions Research – Understand experiences of women in trade unions Analyse current leadership approaches Examine motivation, validity, relevance of joining Assess how to engage a wider audience Leadership Development Programmes Strand I – General Secretary level Strand II – Women Leaders Strand III – Women’s Network Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

8. LIFT – Programme of Strategic Change Interventions Women’s Networks – Provide top-down / bottom-up support Act as internal change agents supported by leadership Inform diverse approaches to recruitment and promotion Engage a wider audience of women Training Resources Assessment of leadership styles informed by coaching Leadership development supported through mentoring Training resourced through specially devised toolkits for women, i.e. ‘Handbook for Women Activists’ Danyanne Quemper LIFT Project Manager

9. Strand I General Secretaries Strand II Senior Level Women Informing cultural change Strategising, succession planning Supportive networks Leading change, promoting new growth Mainstreaming approaches to meet future challenges Strand III Women Officials and Activists