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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.

Stop the corporate abuse of women’s rights

16 October 2018

PSI calls on affiliates to sign the #Feminists4BindingTreaty statement asking UN Member States to stop corporate abuse. We need a #BindingTreaty that holds TNCs accountable for human rights abuses and that centres women’s rights.

PSI Philippine Unions Successfully Lobbied for the Approval of the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2018

04 October 2018

PSI and its affiliated unions in the Philippines welcomed the decision of Senators and Representatives comprising the Congress’ Bicameral Conference Committee which approved the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2018, thus, amending the existing maternity leave.

Demonstrating commitment and leadership on equal pay

26 September 2018

PSI is participating in an Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) Pledging Event. The main objective of the event is to build a consortium of committed partners to accelerate the pace in closing the gender pay gap and achieving equal pay, in line with target 8.5 of the SDGs.

Women's rights beyond the business case: ensuring corporate accountability

01 September 2018

Together with a wide range of organisations under the umbrella of the Feminists for a Binding Treaty coalition, PSI has participated in the production of this briefing that highlights the importance of a binding gender-just international accountability framework for Transnational Corporations (TNCs).

Gender and trade coalition

01 September 2018

PSI endorsed the unity statement and joined the gender and trade coalition, a feminist alliance for trade justice initiated by feminist and progressive activists. The coalition puts forward feminist trade analysis and advocates for equitable trade policy.

Key outcomes from the 2018 Caribbean sub-regional women’s committee (SUBWOC) meeting

06 August 2018
Linda Mienzer, LGBTQI representative from BPSU, Bermuda. Photo: PSI in the Caribbean

Thirty-one women trade union activists, nine of them young workers, representing 15 affiliates, attended the 2018 SUBWOC in Castries, St Lucia, on July 2, under the theme “There can be no social justice without gender justice.”

Tax Justice for finance a public service that transforms gender relations

29 June 2018

Regional Meeting on Tax Justice and Gender gathered for two days in Buenos Aires almost 60 trade unionists to discuss how the trade union movement must address the inequalities produced by the tax policies in our continent.

Rise now! End violence against women

19 November 2012
PSI Congress delegates sign to end violence against women

This background document was produced for the Women's Caucus held prior to PSI’s World Congress. The World Congress is an important forum where we can raise our voices and join together in solidarity to pledge our combined efforts to stop violence against women. Our public sector unions must work towards creating a violence-free world for the women of today and for generations to come.

Impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures on women

04 July 2012

Women are losing jobs in both the private and public sectors, which has an immediate effect on household income but a much longer term effect on the role of women in the labour force.

Annual Report 2010

05 April 2011

In the face of widening cuts to public services and attacks on the rights of public sector workers around the world, leaders of private and public sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups made the unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic and environmentally-sustainable societies.

Annual Report 2009

03 April 2010

Environmental and social sustainability provided the primary theme for PSI’s work in 2009. Leading into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen in December, trade unions and civil society allies worked hard to ensure that world leaders would agree on an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions. Alas, this dream did not become reality. But we are committed to continuing this struggle and achieving real results.

Annual Report 2008

03 April 2009

Looking back at 2008 the one word that comes to mind is CHANGE. We saw a dramatic change in the global economy, it was the keyword in the US election and we initiated changes in PSI.

It’s time to end violence against women

30 October 2008
End Violence against women (cover)

“Violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”. United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, Article 1

Closing the Gender Gap

31 January 2005

This guide was first developed by the Public Services International Women's Education and Organising Project in the Andean Region to provide practical support for its affiliated unions in the Andean countries to progress towards pay equity for women. It sets out in detail a method for designing and then implementing a programme of job evaluation, with the purpose of revaluing, without gender bias, the work effected within an organisation or company.