Woman, training and work

Gender! A Partnership of Equals
Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

 

Trade unions
Surmounting the barriers

Key issues

In the trade union world, women as a group have often been left out of the unions' inner circles, even though their participation in the labour force has grown substantially in the last three decades. Despite the fact that women now constitute a significant proportion of union membership - in some sectors 30% to 50% (agriculture, teachers, nurses) - their active participation is still quite limited. This, of course, also means low representation of women in the higher levels of the unions. In fact, there are barriers to their more active participation.
 

Barriers Family responsibilities: A woman active in a trade union usually has a triple burden: family responsibilities, her job and the union Lack of confidence: Many women tend to think that they are not as capable as men in certain areas related to union activities "Illiteracy": They neither know the rules of the game nor get the chance to learn them A male union environment: The notion that working in the union is a 24-hour a day job, often involving the use of sexist language and low interest in women's issues - "the old-boy network" Job segregation: Women are often employed under the supervision of men and sometimes find it difficult to represent workers in higher grades

Breaking down the barriers: What the unions can do

• Collect membership data by sex and age to know who their members are, to better identify and serve their needs
• Remove sexist language in course materials and bulletins on the work floor
• Sensitize men about the role women actually play in daily life
• Set up a target group or a women's commission to keep the pressure on the union concerning women's needs
• Provide training for women members, all-women's groups if necessary, but mixed groups are ideal, so that women can see any education gaps, the better to fill them
• Reserve a certain number of seats for women in decision-making bodies, providing extra seats for them above the normal number if necessary
• Affirmative action to have a given number of women in decision-making posts by a certain date, supporting this action by training women to be able to fill those posts
• Hold trade union meetings at times which are convenient for women workers, keeping in mind their family responsibilities
• Set up child-care facilities during trade union meetings
• Appoint an independent women's adviser at the national union level to provide assistance and advice to help overcome the many barriers while climbing up the ladder 
• Pay more attention to gender issues in collective bargaining agreements, which in most countries are a key means of determining terms and conditions of employment
   

Progress

Over the past decade trade union organizations have been refining their strategies to confront the problem of women's chronic under-representation in leadership positions. In most cases, the starting point has been the adoption of a union policy statement pledging to improve the lot of women workers and to encourage women to seek leadership posts in the union. However, the declarations on paper often remain both the starting point and the end point of the action. 

A second step has been self-analysis; unions identify factors affecting women's participation at different levels. As a third step, some unions have changed their structure and working methods to help women overcome the barriers which they encounter. Often, women's units and women's or equality committees have been set up or strengthened. In a growing number of cases the structural change has taken the form of reserving seats for women on the executive body; some workers' organizations have even included a paragraph in their Constitution specifying that this should be done. More and more education programmes have been focusing on women to help them develop their leadership skills. And efforts have been made to sensitize both men and women trade unionists to women's issues.

What the ILO has done

In recent years, the Bureau for Workers Activities of the ILO has attempted to remedy the lack of women's participation:
 

ILO action Each invitation letter for ILO seminars emphasizes the need for women's participation  It is suggested that one male and one female participant be selected per organization, if possible, to ensure equal representation An item on women's issues is included on the agenda whenever possible, to ensure that there is discussion on women's issues When feasible, a women's-only workshop/seminar is organized to help to counterbalance the lack of women's participation In November 1997, the Worker's Group of the Governing Body adopted a Resolution to take measures to increase the participation of women in ILO meetings. A rule was established, and is being implemented, that 30% of all workers' participants to sectoral meetings should be female. If the target of 30% is not met, nominations for office are reconsidered

Back to index

The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (ILO/Cinterfor)
Avda. Uruguay 1238 - Montevideo - Uruguay - Tel: (5982) 908 6023 - 902 0557 - 908 0545 - Fax: (5982) 902 1305
webmaster@cinterfor.org.uy

Copyright © 1996-2008 International Labour Organisation (ILO) - Disclaimer