- Conference
- 2009 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 23 October 2008
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
We remember Thabitha Khumalo from Zimbabwe who as a guest speaker at 2006 National Delegate Conference gave an inspirational speech about the struggles for basic rights that women face in her country.
Every year at National Women’s Conference motions are proposed and carried supporting our sisters overseas. In recent years, Conference has supported women of the Latin American Banana Industry, Women of Darfu where rape is used as a weapon of conflict. In 2007, Conference recognised the United Nations Report of Violence Against Women across the globe. In the same year Conference carried the motion supporting our sisters in Zimbabwe. Conference 2008 showed support for the women of Burma.
Year in, year out the struggles of our sisters around the globe are raised and supported by our Conference; breast cancer, children, domestic abuse, economics, environment, female genital mutilation, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, rape, sexual assault, prostitution are amongst the issues raised, with support from Conference.
Conference believes that these issues have an unmistakable connection, an unmistakable global connection, and that connection is – women.
Interestingly, Conference notes that the number of non governmental organisations (NGO’s) is growing. Whilst for example, the environmental movement, the disabled associations and not least the animal protectionists are all quite successful, the women’s movement – at least not in recent years – has generated comparatively little resonance. An example of this; in the recently passed European Commission Notice on the ‘Development of friendly co-operation between the Commission and NGO’s’, the aforementioned movements for animals, the environment and disabled are mentioned, but there is no
reference anywhere to women’s groups.
Conference believes that women’s organisations still weald too little political power. Conference also believes that to provide an overview of feasible strategies for exerting influence, the fundamental precondition for a successful global trade union women’s movement is the effective gathering and sharing of information, therefore;
Conference instructs the National Women’s Committee to work with the International Committee to:
1)Research links with existing global women’s organisations such as International Trade Union Confederation Women’s Committee, European Trade Union Confederation, Public Services International.
2)Research other possible avenues with the key objective to establish a global women’s trade union network.
3)Report back to Women’s Conference 2010.