- Conference
- 2016 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 21 September 2015
- Decision
- Carried
This conference notes that the numbers of young Women members attending have been very low for a number of years and that it is vital work is undertaken to address this.
This conference also notes the scheme of branch representation requiring branches sending 4 delegates to include a young member in their delegation.
This conference further notes that Women’s conference offers unique
learning, educational, political, cultural, and social opportunities that can contribute to young women’s personal development and as UNISON activists.
This conference calls on the National Women’s Committee to adopt the following measures in respect of National Women’s Conference 2017:
(i) Issue a statement to all branch Women’s groups
(a) stating that all branches should make efforts to send a young member to Women’s conference, regardless of whether the scheme of branch representation requires them to do so;
(b) encouraging them to make direct contact with all young women members in their branch and encourage their participation in the group and to take up delegate opportunities;
(c) encouraging more experienced members to relinquish delegate positions if that makes it possible for a young member to attend;
(d) calling for conference visitor places to be made available to young members.
(ii) Call on the Communications Department to Include an article in InFocus about a young woman’s experience of attending Women’s conference;
(iii) Use social media to promote this work, and seek promotion of it through UNISON communications channels;
(iv) Liaise with the National Young Members Forum about reaching out to young women through their networks;
(v) To publish in the 2017 annual report the numbers of young women members registered to attend in 2017 as (a) delegates and (b) visitors, comparing it with numbers attending this year in those capacities, and all future annual reports to maintain a rolling table of this information so that conference is kept informed about any progress made.
(vi) To facilitate a discussion at Women’s conference 2017 about improving young members participation in the women’s Self-Organised Group at all levels of the union.
