A critical moment when we are seeing attacks around the world on diversity, equality and women’s rights.
Each year, hundreds of women trade unionists from a range of countries and sectors form part of the global union delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW), coordinated by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), to lobby on a range of issues including decent work and an end to gender-based violence.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) was represented during the first week of the 69th session by a delegation which included Jessica Isbister, ITF Dockers’ Section Women’s Representative, Claire Clarke, ITF Acting Women Transport Workers and Gender Equality Officer and Helen Breese, ITF Legal Assistant. Meryem Halouani, Chair of the ITF Women Transport Workers’ Committee is attending as part of the national delegation.
The global unions, including the ITF, submitted a joint statement, A New Social Contract rooted in a gender-transformative agenda, to the UN CSW69 in October 2024, setting out five key demands:
- Gender equality as an essential component of social justice, democracy and peace.
- The recognition of women’s labour rights as human rights.
- Ensuring decent work for women.
- Systemic and structural approaches to close the gender pay gap.
- A world of work free from gender-based violence and harassment.
On the first day, the Political Declaration of the UN CSW69 was adopted by consensus by the government representatives which includes key wins for trade unions, despite attempts from a number of governments to water it down. These key wins include, for example, language on:
- women’s rights to work and rights at work, and a first-time reference to obligations under relevant ILO Conventions
- investments in decent work, including taking effective action against discrimination, as well as violence and harassment in the world of work
- enforcing labour rights including the right to organise and bargain collectively
- promoting equal pay for work of equal value and references to closing the gender pay and pension gap
- adopting all necessary measures to reduce labour market segregation
- ensuring that all women throughout their life course, including women working in the informal economy and precarious work, have equal access to gender-responsive comprehensive and universal social protection systems
- supporting the transition from informal to formal work
- care, including language from the ILO’s “5R Framework for Decent Care Work”
- reference to trade unions as key stakeholders
The global unions have been actively lobbying governments for the inclusion of trade union priorities in the run-up to CSW69.
On Friday 14 March, the global unions hosted an event on ‘Women’s labour rights, social justice and democracy’. ITF Dockers’ Section Women’s Representative Jessica Isbister shared the panel with representatives from the International Labour Organization, UN Women, and government representatives, in addition to other union women.
Isbister spoke about ITF’s work on ending violence and harassment against women transport workers:
“The ITF is committed to ending violence against women transport workers, not just as a matter of individual rights but as a fundamental issue of workplace equality. We believe that by empowering unions, raising awareness, and pushing for stronger policies and laws, we can make significant progress towards ending gender-based violence in the transport sector. We call on governments, employers, and all stakeholders to join us in this important work and create a world where all workers, regardless of gender, can work in dignity, safety, and equality.”
Notes:
- The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) – the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment is holding its 69th session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025.
- UN CSW69 marks the 30th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women and is reviewing progress on states’ implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that was adopted in 1995.
