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Gender equality

“Women hold up half the sky – get used to it.” That message, painted on a sign at a demonstration, tells only half the story. In many ways, women do more than their share: caring for the next generation and elderly parents, household duties, and contributing economically. Women are more than equal in the responsibilities they assume. This must be matched with political, economic and social equality.

8th of March: Transforming the world of work for equal pay

06 March 2016
poster no difference at work

Public Services International (PSI) promotes the work of women trade unionists and stands united with all of our sisters who deliver vital public services. From the 8th of March to Friday the 25th, PSI joins its members around the world in celebrating women and their achievements.

The Arab world, a place of hope

30 November 2015
Women in Arab countries

Women leaders of unions affiliated to PSI in the Arab countries of Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia attended a two-day seminar to discuss the campaigns that form part of the project sponsored by the LO-TCO and PSI to increase the participation of women in the trade unions.

Young urban women in Ghana, India and South Africa

24 November 2015
Workshop held in Johannesburg

Following a research carried out by ActionAid in 2015 on young urban women in Ghana, India and South Africa a workshop was held on 16-18 November in Johannesburg, South Africa.

ILO Governing Body approves proposal for an international standard on gender-based violence at work

17 November 2015
STOP gender-based violence at work

The ILO Governing Body, at its meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 12 November 2015, agreed to discuss a new international standard on gender-based violence at work. It will be included in the agenda of the 2018 International Labour Conference.

Achieving pay equity in Peru’s public water industry

02 November 2015

Over the last two years, PSI has implemented a pilot project of gender neutral job evaluation and the construction of a map of health security risks in EPSEL, the public water enterprise of Lambayeque in the city of Chiclayo in the north of Peru.

The ongoing fight for pay equity in Canada

15 October 2015
PSAC photo: Equality - Respect me!

Canadian trade unions’ fight for Pay Equity is one of the most important landmarks in the advance of equality between men and women at work. It has been recognised by the international trade union movement as an example of legislation and best practice in job evaluation and work compensation.

Stop the trafficking of Mauritanian women to Saudi Arabia

24 September 2015
Mauritanian women

900 Mauritanian women have been trafficked to work in Saudi Arabia. Many are subject to abuse with no way out. Please join the call for immediate action and send a message to the government of Mauritania now!

Reaction to the agreed Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development by PSI

24 July 2015
Opening

On 16 July, the Financing for Development Conference (FFD3) has come to an end by adopting the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on FFD. PSI joins the trade union movement and civil society partners in their rejection of the outcome, which will be neither transformative nor deliver the future we want.

PSI women are empowered and determined to force change

28 May 2015

The PSI Women's Committee met on 25-26 May 2015 in Geneva. A varied agenda included violence against women, precarious work, labour migration, peace and freedom, gender equality and gender strategy for the post-2015 development agenda.

UN WOMEN + UBER = A VISION for precarious work

12 March 2015
Taxi drivers have a discussion in the street during a protest over Uber outside City Hall in Chicago

PSI calls for UN WOMEN to cancel its partnership with UBER. During the annual UNCSW, the UN’s leading agency for women’s rights, UN WOMEN, announced a strategic partnership with UBER to “create 1,000,000 jobs for women as drivers on the Uber platform by 2020.”

Women’s economic and political empowerment

09 March 2015
Rosa Pavanelli addressing UN High-level panel discussion

"The key to the empowerment of women is jobs, jobs, jobs! Decent work and fair wages!," said Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary at the recent UN High-level debate on the advancement of gender equality in New York on 6 March 2015.

Bachelet calls on PSI to fight for an ILO resolution on the elimination of violence against women at work

01 November 2014
Mujeres de la ISP el “Encuentro Internacional sobre Violencia de Género en los lugares de trabajo y el empleo público”

Before an audience of more than 140 women members of the PSI, the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, called on the organisation to continue fighting for approval of an ILO resolution on the elimination of violence against women at the workplace and in public employment.

ILO Standard on Gender Based Violence

10 October 2014

The November 2014 session of the ILO Governing Body will again discuss a proposal to include a standard setting item on “violence against women and men in the world of work” on the agenda of a future International Labour Conference. This item was last discussed at the March 2014 Governing Body and whilst there was strong support from some governments, the proposal was not supported by the employers. The Worker’s Group has consistently supported the proposal as a first priority.

Video: Hero Dad (STTK - Finland)

27 May 2014

A video by the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees STTK which encourages young fathers to use their right for longer paternity leave.

Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world

12 May 2014

This new ILO study reviews national law and practice on both maternity and paternity at work in 185 countries and territories including leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare.