Em MDG3 ‘Promote gender equality & empower women’ We are… ITUC in partnership with UNI Global Union and WageIndicator Foundation

14 countries Angola Azerbaijan Belarus Brazil India Indonesia Kazakhstan Mozambique South Africa Ukraine Zambia Zimbabwe + 2 countries, Botswana + Malawi, have websites only

Decisions for life A campaign to: Empower young working women Organise them in trade unions

A young women-centered approach to organising… Defining and defending their interests Recruiting in and outside the workplace Forming groups, including through e- networking Including them in negotiation teams

Young women’s concerns 1.Harassment at work 2.Discrimination because of maternity 3.Precariousness of employment relationship 4.Pay gap 5.Work-life balance

98,368 young women reached since 2008 Call centre operators Sales persons & cashiers in retail Self-employed workers Bank tellers Housekeepers in hotels Receptionists/ front office workers

Increase in membership Indonesia: 15,000 Brazil: 5,000 Azerbaijan: 1,000 Mozambique : 1,000 Kazakhstan: 1,000 Belarus: A new organisation of 1,000 members Ukraine: New unions set-up in the retail sector

Direct involvement in bargaining Brazil Extension of maternity leave up to 6 months Indonesia Equal pay and maternity leave clauses South Africa Sexual harassment and parental rights clauses

5 lessons learnt 1.Group building and empowerment as a first step to organising 2.Focusing on their interests and offering tools to make informed decisions 3.Young women organising young women 4.Unions’ structures and bargaining agendas responsive to young women’s interests 5.The power of coalition building including through use of internet

What’s Next? Continuing the campaign and extending it to new countries Creating an international network of young working women International Young Women’s Conference (Amsterdam, 9-11 May 2011) …….

……. Looking forward to your initiatives on organising young working women! What’s Next?

THANK YOU !