8 March 2009

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Gender equality is key to economic development and prosperity

On March 8, International Women’s Day, working women across the globe will gather to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women. March 8 became a fixture on the global calendar after Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women's Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, tabled the idea of an International Women's Day in 1910. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. Almost 100 years on, women have made significant progress in asserting their rights in terms of labour market participation, public office, leadership positions and access to education.

Despite these gains, PSI’s equality and trade union rights officer Chidi King emphasises that much needs to be done. “Now, more than ever, we need to be vigilant to ensure that measures designed to promote gender equality are not cast aside under the excuse that ‘we can no longer afford them’. The simple truth is that we can no longer afford to exclude 50% of the world’s population from fully enjoying their economic, social, political and cultural rights”.

King points to Canada where the minority federal government has adopted legislation that will restrict the scope of pay equity in the federal public sector. While forcing unions to bargain pay equity – a fundamental human right – at the bargaining table, the legislation prevents recourse to the Human Rights Commission and calls for a fine of 50,000 Canadian dollars to be levied against any union that assists or encourages its members to file a pay equity complaint before the Public Service Labour Relations Board.

PSI is also concerned with proposals within the European Union to reopen the debate on commitments that the member States provide day care facilities for 33% of children under three years and for 90% of children from three years to school attendance age by 2010.

PSI General Secretary, Peter Waldorff, warns: “In this time of global economic crisis, governments need to renew their efforts to achieve gender equality. Now, more than ever, is the time to ensure that the social infrastructure and public services are in place to allow women to participate fully and productively in the labour market and to bring much needed income into the household. At the same time, governments need to enhance social protection measures to ensure that those who are worst hit by the crisis, which will disproportionately affect women, do not end up destitute.”

Waldorff continues, ”It is time, too, for International Financial Institutions to end their destructive policies which have seen public expenditure cuts in both developing and industrialised countries, increasing the burden on women to compensate for the non-availability of vital services such as health and social care and access to safe water”.

International Women’s Day marks the launch of PSI’s global “Water, Women, Workers and Health” campaign. The campaign focuses on the link between quality public water and health services and their impact on women.

 Women comprise the majority of workers in the health sector as well as the majority of users of public health services. The provision of universally accessible, publicly funded quality water, health and care services is crucial to empowering women and promoting gender equality. Gender equality is key to economic development and prosperity.

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