A non-profit German Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) says trade unions cannot ensure fair representation and decent work for all without promoting gender equality.
Mrs Remi Ihejirika, Project Manager, FES, said this in a communique on Wednesday in Lagos, at the end of a five-day workshop.
The workshop was organised by the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-metallic Products Employees.
Ihejirika said that gender equality formed the basis for democratic and socially just trade unions.
According to her, trade unions play critical roles in promoting democracy, equality and social justice in the workplace as well as the larger society.
“Gender equality is thus among the core principles and focus areas of unionism,” the project manager said.
She noted that transformative strategies for gender equality are long-term and sustainable approaches that tackled the root causes and intersectionality of gender discrimination.
These root causes, she said, included structural discrimination, inequality and unequal power dynamics to achieve a gender-just union organisation.
Ihejirika, however, called for integrating issues of gender equality in trade union work and activities.
“Organising to increase female membership in trade unions is a strategy that works. It will also help address dwindling union membership,” she said.
She further said that efforts should be made to integrate women’s issues in collective bargaining agreements.
“Collective bargaining negotiation is one of the core tasks of trade unions, a terrain where few women are included at the negotiating table.
“When women are not on the table, the greater the likelihood that gender or women-related proposals in collective bargaining will be traded off for other bargaining gains.
“Among the common women’s issues included in collective bargaining agreements are maternity benefits, separate toilets, reproductive health benefits (that is light work for pregnant women, menstrual leave).
“Anti-sexual harassment and, most recently, enforcement of laws protecting women against violence and harassment,” she said.
The project manager said that trade unions should develop gender equality curriculum in their workers’ education programmes.
According to her, this can be done by carrying out gender education programmes which include gender sensitivity training courses for men and women and education modules on reproductive health.
She added that the gender education programmes also included gender orientation and special women’s issues.
Ihejirika said that transformational process toward gender equality started with the adoption of substantial changes in union policies and organisational structures.
She noted that the transformational process would increase and sustain women’s representation in union leadership and union structures.
These changes, she noted, would democratise organisational structures and make them more inclusive, alter power relations between men and women by conferring to the latter, real decision-making power.
