News

UNI ILC Women in Mumbai has been busy preparing for the first UNI ILC Women gathering with a network of trade unionist mobilizing women and key trade union activists to attend the special gathering to celebrate the international women’s day by the UNI Apro affiliates in Mumbai.

Welcoming the guests with special bouquets of flowers, Sharda Bangera effortlessly introduce the speakers and coordinated the fraternal greetings from the women leaders from varies trade unions affiliated to UNI Apro.

In Christopher Ng’s inaugural speech, he congratulated the Indian Women for being able to come together to hold this gathering to not only celebrate the International Women’s day but also to build solidarity within the trade union movement. He is very proud of Anjali Bedekar’s work and her election as the UNI Apro Women President in Manila in 2008.

While this is the first gathering of women and trade union leaders in Mumbai to celebrate the international women’s day, Anjali was quick to add that there will be a follow up to this event as this is just a start of a continues and better meetings in the future. Although many events are being held concurrently in other parts of the city and having a turnout of 200 people were commendable, she expressed the wish to work harder on gender equality issues so that by the next International Women’s Day, the turn out and also the focus of this gathering will be more meaningful. She is grateful to Bro. Milind, President of UNI ILC for the support given to the women and workers in India.

Alice Chang, Director for Commerce UNI Apro was very pleased to have the opportunity to be able to participate in this event – more so since she worked with the UNI ILC Women and had seen the progress made to put equality issue on the table and more women taking up trade union positions. She reminded the participants that while we can rejoice at the successes achieved; we are reminded that the current Global Financial Crises will have a bigger negative impact on women due to their multiple roles in the trade union, family and society. The stimulus plans and government intervention to date has not take into consideration of the need to focus on the groups that will be the most effected, women, youth and the aged. It is the trade unions that must study such proposals and provide the feedback to the authorities. There is 365 days in a year of which only one day is designated for women; does this means that 364 days are for men? She hopes that one day soon, there will be no need for International Women’s Day when everyone is truly equal.

The programme ended with a special interactive dialog with Sampada Wagle on “Kick, Kisse, Aani Kavita” of her interpretation of women, society and reflections on literature.