Global Unions’ Joint Statement to the UNCSW68: Workers of the World Unite for Gender Equality
In a powerful joint statement submitted to UNCSW68, global unions have issued a clarion call for action, aiming to tackle the pervasive poverty and inequality faced by women and marginalized genders worldwide. This comprehensive statement sheds light on the entrenched issues stemming from the unfair distribution of unpaid care work, limited access to education, insufficient social protection, and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The statement emphasizes the pivotal role of trade unions in breaking the cycle of poverty, discrimination, and gender gaps. The focus is on collective bargaining and social dialogue as mechanisms to promote social progress. Despite the current global wealth being three times greater than it was three decades ago, a staggering 685 million people live in extreme poverty, with millions working in precarious and informal jobs, predominantly women.
The pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, revealing an 8% gender gap in social protection. Shockingly, 90% of women who lost their jobs in the first 18 months of the pandemic exited the labor force, resulting in a loss equivalent to the combined GDP of 98 countries. The global gender pay gap persists, with women earning, on average, 20% less than men. The statement underscores the urgent need to address these disparities, particularly the unfair burden of unpaid care work shouldered by women, worsened by the absence or privatization of public services.
Trade unions are portrayed as frontline fighters in the battle against poverty, particularly in-work poverty. The document highlights their achievements in advocating for groundbreaking laws and policies to elevate women from poverty by ensuring access to secure, decent work free from gender-based violence and discrimination. Social dialogue, a fundamental aspect of economic development translating into social progress, is stressed as essential.
The erosion of fundamental workers’ rights and attacks on trade unions are noted, leading to a decline in wages, weakened labor rights, and increased inequality. The statement calls for a robust and effective International Labour Organisation (ILO), driving a transformative agenda to elevate women out of poverty through gender equality and non-discrimination.
Governments are urged to engage in social dialogue with unions, focusing on creating millions of decent jobs, ensuring fair wages, reforming financial and trade systems, and strengthening public services. Key recommendations include developing national job plans, investing in gender-responsive just transitions, ensuring equitable access to quality public services, and guaranteeing decent work for all care workers.
This call to action aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Beijing Platform of Action, pushing for gender-transformative universal social protection systems and floors, bridging the global digital divide, and supporting the ILO’s normative mandate.
In conclusion, the joint statement issues a rallying cry for governments to take decisive actions in collaboration with trade unions, paving the way for a gender-transformative world of work that eradicates poverty, promotes equality, and fulfills the promise of a just, rights-based development model.
Download Global Unions Joint Statement for UNCSW68
Source: Public Services International
Picture Credit: Remy Gieling (from Unsplash)
