1 STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S VOICE AND REPRESENTATION IN TRADE UNIONS by Dimitrina Dimitrova ILO/ACTRAV ETUC Conference “Tools, Mechanisms and Instruments to put Gender Mainstreaming in the Heart of ETUC”, Berlin, 5-6 March 2007

2 GOLOBAL CONTEXT: Women’s Decent Work Deficit Women labour force participation on an increase Unemployment high and growing for both male and female workers Neither more but not better jobs for women? “Glass ceiling”, “glass walls”, “sticky floor” Persisting pay gap

3 Global Labour Market Indicators (1)

4 Global Labour Market Indicators (2)

5 Global Labour Market Indicators (3)

6 GLOBAL CONTEXT: SOME FACTS 1.37 billion working people live with less than 2USD a day, 70% of them women 38.5 mln young women (aged 15-24) are involuntarily without work Women earnings range between 50 an 90 of man’s earning The value of women’s unpaid, invisible work in the ‘care economy’ is estimated at appr. 11 trillion USD per year Women’s share in managerial positions (in some 60 countries) range between 20 and 40% Worldwide less that 17 of members of parliaments are women 10 “FORTUNE 500” companies are run by women 2/3 of women in developing countries are in informal employment Almost half of the 120 mln migrant workers are women 66% of world illiterate are women Between 40 and 50% of women in the EU countries report experience of some form of sexual harassment at the work place Estimated numbers of women forced or sold into prostitution is between and 4 mln per year. Profits from sex slavery are estimated from 7 to 12 bln USD.

7 Women in Trade Unions: present challenges Women’s under- representation in trade union membership Lack of representation and services for women in the informal economy Barriers to women’s advancement to decision making positions in trade unions Rigid trade union structures Trade unions internal rules and policies discouraging women’s participation at the various levels of trade union structures and activities Insufficient technical expertise on gender equality at work Trade unions’ male-dominated culture Women’s own attitudinal barriers

8 ILO Decent Work Agenda Promotion of employment opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work on conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity Decent Work’s Four Strategic Pillars: - Fundamental principles and rights at work - Greater employment and income - More social protection: safe work and security - Participation in social dialogue Gender as a cross-cutting issue Rights- based and development based approaches as complements From de jure to de facto gender equality

9 ILO policies on promoting gender representation and voice in unions ILO support aimed at strengthening capacity of trade unions to take effective policy and institutional measure to promote gender equality within their structures, in the world of work and in their societies. Strengthening Representation of Women in Trade unions: - Strengthening representation in the informal economy - Building capacity for promoting women in decision making positions Capacity building for gender sensitive collective bargaining Strengthening trade union expertise on gender equality in all areas of Decent Work: - Equal opportunity legislation (ILO Conventions 100, 111, 156,183) - Freedom of Association - Collective bargaining - Employment policies - Social Security coverage - Wage policies - Social Dialogue

10 Approaches and Tools to promote gender equality: lessons leant Combining gender mainstreaming with gender specific approaches Setting up clear objectives, priorities and targets Strengthening gender-analytical capacity of trade unions Applying integrated approach Combining traditional and new tools (gender audits, gender budgeting) Dissemination of good practices ILO advisory assistance for trade unions

11 Support for Trade unions in the ILO Field Offices Trade unions ACTRAV Specialists Technical Experts ILO Gender Specialists

12 ILO Support for Trade Unions: the case of Central and Eastern Europe Supporting the ICFTU/WCL Trade Union Women Network - Women workers’ rights - Women in informal economy - Social security and pension reforms - Maternity protection - Workplace discrimination Promoting inter-union cooperation at national level Strengthening trade union expertise on gender dimensions of employment policies, pension reforms, collective bargaining, tripartite social dialogue Encouraging women participation in ILO activities

13 Interim Conclusions Man and women in trade unions: from partnership in progress to partnership for progress The argument of strength: Voice is not given, voice is taken! The strength of the argument: building technical expertise Trade union bureaucracy vs. trade union democracy: women can make a change Communicating successes: people follow the victors! Mobilizing resources: from ‘what we lack’ to ‘what we have’ Building alliances: arithmetic of’ ’political exchange’ Women in leadership: mission and ambition