News

On the 18th and 19th of September a second workshop for the Mentoring Program was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the BANADE headquarters. The workshop was organized by the Head of the Equal Opportunities Department, Verónica Fernández Méndez and the Head of UNI Americas Women, Katy González, with the coordination of the President of UNI Americas Women, Alejandra Estoup.

This workshop was also financially supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation (FES), support that allowed the incorporation of four additional countries in the region: Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile and Peru; that, together with Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, totaled 9 Nations in the region, representing 4 of the 5 areas of the Americas, with a total of 73 participants.

The workshop was also attended by Maria Rigat Platfun, on behalf of the FES and the Americas Regional Secretary, Adriana Rosenzvaig. Ms. Rosenzvaig gave a detailed report on the activities and actions that are currently taking place in the Americas, as well as work that is underway for women in the region. She highlighted that fact that there has been  an important advance, led by the women in the region, to provide the necessary conditions to continue organizing networks and coordinate the women in those countries in which no networks have been established, in order to form stronger unions and consolidate political and trade union organization and support for UNI.

During the workshop, the participants were able to evaluate the reports carried out by both the Mentors and the Mentees during the first stage of the Program, as well as to participate in leadership and communication talks that allowed them to incorporate their own experiences into the discussion.

The final conclusions reflected the success generated by this program, which has been successfully implemented in many unions who wish to use it as a tool to promote the conformation of more tandems in order to prepare young women for leadership positions.

The participants also received a certificate for their participation at the end of the workshop and they pledged to continue the work set out by UNI in areas such as the 40 x 40 and the That’s Why! Campaigns;  in the Strategic Priorities established in the “Breaking Through” plan for 2014-2018; and with the work UNI is currently undertaking in countries such as Paraguay, Chile, Colombia and Nicaragua, which looks into recruiting  more women into unions and the creation of more women networks to help strengthen this sector.

Buenos Aires, September 19, 2014.

Alejandra Estoup

President of  UNI AMERICAS Women.