Gender Equality and
Gender Mainstreaming in
Trade Unions
Gender and Non Discrimination
Programme
ITC-ILO
Session Content
– The current context and
gender equality
– Gender mainstreaming
– Trade Unions role on
gender equality
Take 5 minutes and write down everything you
do in a normal week day:
Activity
time
Preparing breakfast
7-7:30
Showering
7:30-745
Washing the kids
7:45-8:15
…..
For myslef only
or for others
All the family
Country Situation Review: Group Work 1
• How has global economic
crisis affected your country?
What impact has it had on
workers & trade unions?
• What has been the effect on
women’s employment,
working conditions &
conditions of life?
• What has been the
government response to
tackling the effects of
economic crisis?
Has the global economic
crisis affected women
and men differently in
your country?
Were these measure
targeting male or female
dominated sectors?
WHAT IS GENDER?
SEX
BIOLOGICAL
FUNCTIONS
GENDER
CONSTRUCTED
ROLES AND
RELATIONS
• Social
• Cultural
• Traditional
• Power relations…
WHAT?
Education
Religion,
beliefs
Ethnicity
Gender
Health
condition
Socio
economic
status
Age
Gender
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gender triple roles
Stereotypes
Affirmative action
Equal chance
Practical and strategic needs
Gender/Sex discrimination
Vertical/horizontal segregation
GENDER EQUALITY
Women and men in the world of
work
• equally contribute and have
equal rights (de jure)
• but they still do not enjoy
benefits and rights (de facto)
C. 111 - Discrimination (1958)
Equality in
opportunities
In employment and
occupations
Training
Working conditions
DISCRIMINATION (C.111)
any distinction, exclusion or preference
made on the basis of race, colour, sex,
religion, political opinion, national
extraction or social origin, which has the
effect of nullifying or impairing equality
of opportunity or treatment in
employment or occupation
Maternity Protection
• C03, 1919
• C103, 1952
• C183, 2000
C. 156 Workers with Family
Responsibilities , 1981
It promotes a real equality of opportunity
and treatment in employment for man and
women workers with family responsibilities
Gender Mainstreaming
• Giving equal opportunities
and rights to men and
women
• Transforming systemic
inequalities in legislation,
policies, programmes, etc
into equal and just
structures.
Equality and employement
•
•
•
•
Today’s context
GMS versus women specific
Legal literacy
Enforcement of Equality in
national law and int’l convention
Barriers to Women’s Participation
and Representation
• What are the barriers
– Cultural
– Organizational
– Capacity-building
– Family responsibilities
– …..
What is the current situation in you your TU.
• How many w your TU represents?
• How many w on the board/top
management?
• How is you TU representing (or not) w in
these contingencies (C102)?
• Unemployment
• Family responsibilities
• Old age
What could be done to consider include
gender concerns?