News

The annual meeting of UNI MEI Global Women Working Group took place in Madrid on 16 March 2018. The agenda included updates from the different countries, a discussion on the implementation of the 40for40 campaign, and a session on developing a campaign regarding portrayal of women in media.

Since the previous meeting last October, the #MeToo campaign has swept across the world and changed the equality landscape in the sector. In addition to increased public awareness on the challenges women are facing in the sector, concrete changes are taking place in some countries, such as obligatory training on sexual harassment for producers in Sweden.

In many aspects, however, the progress is slow. The work towards equal pay is hindered as unions often struggle to gain access to the relevant information in companies. In some cases, we even see steps taken backwards, such as a recent legislative proposal in Poland which would ban abortion altogether.

The Women Group is committed to the 40for40 campaign and is currently implementing a survey among UNI MEI affiliates to gather data on the equality situation within the unions. The Women Group is also developing a campaign concerning the portrayal of women in media, to raise awareness on the issue. How women are portrayed in the different media impacts the whole society by creating stereotypes of how women should look, act, and be treated.

To encourage more women to aim for leadership roles in their unions, the Women Group is working towards a project on capacity building and mentoring.