News

As expected UNI Africa women met on 26 July 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa.



The different reports showed that women worked a lot on organizing and recruitment this year. Unfortunately, due to lack of finance, they were not able to carry on all the planned activities.



The working day was mainly divided into two points:



1. The state of implementation of the UNI Africa Women strategic plan

2. The penetration of the informal economy by organizing domestic workers



The first item discussed ways to improve the situation of women in African trade unions. Faced with numerous difficulties that arose during the analysis of situations that hinder women, women recommend the following:



To look closely at the statements of union membership and ensure that contributions are paid fully and on time

Use every opportunity to recruit, train, raise women's rights issue.

Speaking of unionism to young workers, students and even the unemployed

To claim and fight for positions of responsibility and refuse to be manipulated by men

Enforce the project 40by40 by their general secretary now and to have 40% representation in the regional conference in Nairobi in 2013

Invite women to be observers during the negotiations and other union activities. Doing this will train them.

On this point, the discussion shows how much union education of young people was very important to the participants.



On the 2nd item, we had a presentation by Ms Inviolata Chinyangarara, ILO specialist for workers who presented the new convention on domestic workers.



Women of the meeting would then get involved to recruit in the informal economy to increase their membership but also to raise awareness to the maximum and especially women workers about their rights and have decent working conditions.



Louise Plaatjies President informed the meeting of the preparations for Cape Town in 2014 and urged women to start to prepare now. She said that Africa must double its presence to Nagasaki for this travel by road and rail should be preferred by the participants.



The window open to the Arab spring introduced the catalytic role that women played in this revolution to bring more democracy, more freedom and equality. We think that the collective work with the young and perseverance eventually pays. Amel Dargouth, Tunisia and Sanaa Zayed, Egypt thanked UNI and UNI Africa women for the support in this period.



One of the recommendations of the World Women Committee Meeting in Bogota in April 2011 said that from now on the youth president should participate in meetings of women. To do this, Elisabeth Denyoh, President of the Youth Committee was invited to the meeting. She recommended that each participant involves the issue of youth in its annual program.