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Increasing
the presence of women in UNI-Africa
18.10.2003
A new drive to increase the presence of women at all levels in African
unions and UNI-Africa was urged on the Regional Conference in
Johannesburg.
The call came from UNI-Africa Women who held a two-day meeting immediately
before the regional conference.
"Trade unions are still the preserve of men - we have to change
this," said Madeleine Ouedraogo, UNI-Africa Women’s President.
A special budget for women’s activities and women’s structures
launched or expanded were among the recommendations.
Nearly 40% of delegates to the Regional Conference were women - a sign of
growing participation that was welcomed by a number of speakers.
"We don’t want confrontation, we want cooperation. We want men
involved in the policies we are carrying out," said Mariama Penda
Diallo, of FESABAG Guinee-Conakry.
She also announced a new e-mail and postal network of women active in UNI
unions across the continent.
"We are the managers of the family," said Ntomboxolo Tembai
Maheneza, of CWU South Africa.
She urged unions and UNI-Africa to be serious in their work in the
informal economy – which is dominated by women and has grown as jobs in
the formal economy have declined.
UNI-Africa Women also want the union’s long-running Global Equality
Project to be expanded.
The project aims to encourage women to become active at all levels of
their unions and in UNI and its regional organisations.
Now UNI is being urged to expand the scope of the project to also tackle
HIV/AIDS, violence against women, sexual harassment and organising among
women.
In their discussions UNI-Africa Women examined some of the cultural
barriers that affect the lives of African women - including traditions, a
lack of education, violence and HIV/AIDS.
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