Trade unions urged to embrace gender mainstreaming

A recent report on gender mainstreaming by the European Trade Union Institute recommends ways in which trade unions can tackle gender inequalities within their own institutions. Starting with a conceptual definition of gender mainstreaming, the report gives practical guidelines for promoting the interests of women and highlights good practice examples drawn from trade unions.

Gender inequalities within trade unions

The European Trade Union Institute’s (ETUI) report [Women in trade unions (646Kb PDF)](http://www.etui-rehs.org/content/download/2261/13858/version/1/file/06 Women in TU EN.pdf) aims to offer trade unions a conceptual understanding of gender mainstreaming, as well as recommending practical measures to ensure that gender equality is a central aspect of trade union policy. Arising from a seminar on gender equality co-hosted by the ETUI in 2005, the report outlines how trade unions are slowly becoming aware of the importance of actively addressing gender inequality within their own organisations.

Given that women are now being actively encouraged to enter the labour market as a means of compensating for the demographic problems faced by European employers, female employees represent an important group of workers which trade unions need to accommodate. As the report notes, halting the decline of organised labour will greatly depend on how well trade unions can demonstrate their relevance to this underrepresented section of society.

According to statistics from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), women account for around 40% of trade union members, a finding which represents a positive development. However, as the ETUI notes, density rates alone are not a reflection of the quality of representation. For instance, although 90% of confederations report that gender mainstreaming plays a key role in the formulation of policy and actions, data contained in the report clearly offers a less optimistic picture. The proportion of women in decision-making committees, for example, remains low compared with the overall number of female members.

Drawing on the ETUC’s 2003 gender study, Women in trade unions: Making the difference (1.2Mb PDF), the findings indicate that out of 22 general secretary positions, only two positions were held by women. Conversely, the further one descends down the managerial ladder, the more prevalent women become. In the case of standing policy committees and working groups, women are shown to account for 42% of delegates. Collective bargaining represents another area which remains relatively untouched by gender issues.

Defining gender mainstreaming

To advance the rights of women in employment, and in society as a whole, the ETUI report emphasises the importance of understanding the concept of gender mainstreaming. This is viewed as an essential step in ensuring the successful implementation of gender-related policies.

While previous stages in challenging gender inequality involved what are widely referred to as equal treatment (anti-discrimination legislation) and ‘equality of outcomes’ (positive discrimination programmes), gender mainstreaming focuses specifically on the role that policies and institutions play – or do not play – in promoting the rights of women. This entails being gender-conscious when formulating and implementing policies, as well as ensuring that decision-making processes incorporate the interests of women. As the report outlines: ‘Gender mainstreaming associates itself with equal visibility, empowerment and participation of men and women in public and private life. Women’s priorities and needs should be accorded equal respect with those of men.’

Practical recommendations

The ETUI report insists that the successful application of gender mainstreaming in trade unions requires the following steps:

• the compiling of gender-segregated statistics, since achieving gender equality depends on an understanding of the actual degree of inequality, in order to formulate the measures necessary to address this issue. Unfortunately, most trade unions do not make the collation of such information compulsory and, as a result, do not have access to reliable data;

• equal representation on trade union bodies – as there appears to be a close correlation between gender-mainstreamed policies and the presence of women in key decision-making positions, trade unions need to reserve seats for female members on committees, as well as establish women’s groups that feed into policy areas;

• an assessment of policy impact on each gender – the main objective here involves detecting the obstacles that stand in the way of policies promoting gender equality, as well as implementing measures to overcome such obstacles;

• training and education courses for policymakers – this represents an important awareness-raising exercise, aimed at ensuring the integration of gender equality into the formulation of policy.

Good practice examples

Another strength of the report is its documentation of cases where trade unions have successfully promoted gender mainstreaming measures. For example, it notes that Unison, the UK’s largest trade union (comprising around one million female members), actively promotes female participation. Measures include branch-level female self-help groups, women-only training and education courses, as well as positive discrimination aimed at raising the level of female representation on decision-making bodies. Similarly, the Polish trade union Solidarnosc has introduced various training programmes aimed at gender mainstreaming. Its seminar for future leading trade union officers must have a 20% female participation rate.

Commentary

Historically, the trade union movement has sought to fight injustice. Unfortunately, however, addressing gender inequality has not always been a central priority of the movement. Although awareness of the importance of gender equality has noticeably improved within trade unions, institutional and policy barriers continue to exist, which are not conducive to improving the position of women at work and in society. By addressing these internal inequalities, trade unions can demonstrate that they are able to legitimately represent women’s interests – a move which would constitute an important step in securing the future of organised labour.

Michael Whittall, Technical University Munich for AWWW Gmbh