Gender equality in social dialogue and industrial relations

Gender equality and social dialogue are both fundamental values and cross-cutting issues for the International Labour Organisation.

Participation of women and men in social dialogue
Comparative studies confirm that women are persistently under-represented at all levels of social dialogue. This is one of the direct consequences of the under-representation of women within government units, trade unions and employers’ organisations.

Gender equality issues on the agenda of social dialogue and collective bargaining
Tripartite social dialogue and collective bargaining are essential policy tools to advance gender equality in the world of work. However, meaningful discussions and initiatives on gender equality issues are still scarce in national social dialogue councils, as well as in collective agreements at sectoral and entreprise levels.

The promotion of gender equality and social dialogue is inextricably linked and mutually beneficial. The ILO technical assistance and comparative research aim at sharing best practices to provide guidance for developing new policy initiatives and innovative mechanisms for implementation.

Angelika Muller is the Gender Coordinator for the Social Dialogue Sector.