In July 2013, the Solidarity Center hosted a meeting of nearly 100 worker/activists, union leaders, and academics to share experiences and ideas for advancing women’s labor rights and gender equality. The conference focused on three themes: women’s labor rights in agriculture and light manufacturing—two sectors that between them employ hundreds of millions of women around the world and which are central to the economic development of many countries—and transformational leadership in unions. Transformational leadership is a way of leading based on inclusion, power sharing, participation, and collective analysis that enables and relies upon workers’ voices to be front and center and readily embodies gender equality as a core principle.
Participants’ inspiring and insightful presentations and discussions reflected the scope, power and depth of women’s leadership in the international labor movement.
Scroll down to read the full conference proceedings.
AGENDA
July 30
Plenary
Opening Remarks and Welcome
Plenary
Leadership, Transformation and Labor Rights: The Essential Vision and Role of Women
Concurrent Workshops
• Union Strategies to Increase Women’s Participation in Brazil: Perspectives from Industrial, Public and Service Sectors
• Allies and Partners: Role of Men in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Trade Unions
• Utilizing Legal Mechanisms to Fight Gender Discrimination and Support Women Workers Rights
• Young Workers: Challenges Now and in the Future
Plenary
Women Worker Rights in Agriculture: The Reality, Challenges and Opportunities
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July 31
Plenary
Women Worker Rights and Gender Equality in Light Manufacturing: What Way Forward?
Plenary
Bringing Back the Heart: Gender Action Learning Process with Four Trade Unions in South Africa
Concurrent Workshops
• Organizing Women in the Agricultural Sector
• Brazil’s Integrated Education and Solidarity Economy: Opening Pathways to Income and Citizenship
• Strategic Alliances for Working Women’s Rights: Unions and NGOs
• Decisions in Union Organizing: Applying a Gender Analysis to Organizing Campaigns
Concurrent Workshops
• Building Women’s Power in Times of Political Change: Examples from MENA
• Mechanisms for Increasing Women’s Participation in Unions: Education, Policies, Quotas and Budgets
• Women Workers Organizing: Examples from India, Brazil and Liberia
Plenary
Conclusions Panel: What Did We Learn/Where Do We Go From Here?