News

The UNI MEI Global Women Working Group had its second meeting on 28 October 2016 in Edinburgh. The Working Group convened for the first time in Lisbon a year ago, where it identified work priorities for future work. These priorities include cooperation with the UNI Equal Opportunities Department, especially on their 40for40 –campaign, and fighting against stereotypes and narrow portrayal of women in media.

In its second meeting the Working Group continued its dialogue with the UNI Equal Opportunities Department. We discussed their campaign on violence against women and the role media has when it comes to violence and the perception of women. Media has a huge impact on how women are perceived in society and this in turn impacts on the possibilities women have in society, in terms of their careers, their power, on how they can contribute to and influence decision-making in society.

We further discussed in detail what the 40for40 campaign means in practice and how to proceed with the implementation. The campaign aims at increasing women’s participation in union decision-making and activities so that at least 40% of delegates to meetings and members of decision-making bodies are women.

The Working Group adopted an action plan for 2017. The key elements for work in 2017 will be to make progress towards 40% representation of women in the union structures as well as to work towards a campaign on portrayal of women in media. To strengthen its work the Working Group elected a permanent chair, Eleonor Fahlen of TF in Sweden, who will work with the UNI MEI secretariat to make progress on the action plan and who will act as a link between the secretariat, the Working Group and the UNI MEI Executive Committee.