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Addressing the 4th UNI Apro Women’s Conference, UNI Apro Regional Secretary, Chris Ng, said the organisation was committed to closing the gap on gender parity.

“UNI Apro have established the structure and mechanism within the framework of UNI Apro to institutionalize UNI Apro Women’s influence in the entire decision making process.

It has and will to continue to develop comprehensive program of activities to assist and support UNI Apro affiliates in meeting the challenges facing their women membership and in their quest to empower women to achieve gender parity.

“I urge the trade unions to address more seriously the women worker issue.  Not merely by making or organizing a women’s department or a women’s committee.  But more importantly, by making women’s organizing and consciousness-raising on the special concerns of women workers priority tasks of the trade union leadership and the responsibility of the trade union membership.

Together, all workers - men and women, will restore the strength and influence of the trade union movement to ensure that the interest of workers and people are considered, safeguarded and promoted in the process of globalisation.”

UNI Global Union Deputy General Secretary Christy Hoffman praised the women unionists present for their major contribution to the cause of gender parity

“The work that all of you do in this area is so important -- you nurture and nudge and push women into the leadership of their unions.  And you press forward on UNI’s 40% commitment and hold UNI’s feet to the fire.  We are making progress but there is more work to do,” said Hoffman.    

Hoffman also said that organising women was particularly pertinent to UNI service sectors.

“Our unions need to be bigger and stronger if we’re going to win decent work for anyone -  male or female.  Which is why organizing women into unions is a central part of the UNI strategy to raise standards for all workers.  Women are in the majority in many of our sectors- and I like to speak of the 4Cs-  commerce, cleaning, care and call centers. These are all growing sectors.  Care in particular largely involves women workers, many precarious and very low paid, and care is likely to have the highest rate of growth of any UNI sector,” Hoffman  concluded.