The 6th UNI Asia & Pacific Women\u2019s Conference opened on 18 November in Bangkok, Thailand, uniting over 200 women from 20 countries under the theme \u201cTogether to Transform for Gender Equality.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Sister Nilaimol Montreekanon<\/strong>, representing UNI Thailand Liaison Council officially welcomed participants to the conference, leading chants of \u2018Su! Su!\u201d (fight, fight) to build women\u2019s power at work and in unions.<\/p>\r\n Ayako Nakata, UNI Asia & Pacific Women\u2019s President<\/strong> from UA ZENSEN, Japan set the tone for the conference in her opening speech calling for women\u2019s empowerment on the difficult road to gender equality.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe must advocate for policies that empower women economically, socially and politically. Especially for Asian women, historically and culturally, our position in society has been very low. There are many issues to be addressed for Asian women compared to the world. We must fight against violence and harassment, discrimination, and any barriers that limit our full participation not only in the trade union but also in society,\u201d<\/em> Nakata declared, setting the tone for the event.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Chanisa Monthamanee<\/strong>, acting as M.C. and representing UNI postal union affiliate SEWU-THP, Thailand, hailed the conference as a historic moment for the democratic union movement in her country.<\/p>\r\n \u201cLet\u2019s take this opportunity to enrich ourselves with this wonderful international exchange that UNI Asia & Pacific offers us. We welcome our sisters from the South Asia and Southeast Asia mentoring program who are breaking barriers and paving the way for more women to participate in unions and hold decision-making positions,\u201d<\/em> she said.<\/p>\r\n UNI Equal Opportunities\u2019 mentoring program has seen remarkable results in the region, with nearly half of its participants attaining decision-making roles in just three years, showcasing its transformative impact.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n UNI Global Union\u2019s Deputy General Secretary Alke Boessige<\/strong>r underscored union successes in the region, including creating safe factories in Bangladesh, lifting cleaners\u2019 wages in Indonesia and organizing thousands of part-time workers in Japan.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe can be proud that UNI and its unions take on some of the urgent problems facing working women today. And we WIN. Union issues – UNI\u2019s issues – ARE women\u2019s issues,\u201d <\/em>said Boessiger.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Tackling violence and harassment\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\r\n UNI World Women\u2019s President, Carol Scheffer from Ireland\u2019s CWU, rallied the attendees to combat workplace harassment and domestic violence, both of which deeply affect women\u2019s safety and livelihoods.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe will stand up to sexual harassment in the workplace. We will say no more. We\u2019re standing up to domestic violence, which creeps into the workplace,\u201d<\/em> said Scheffer. \u201cI call on each of you to become agents of change – because you have the power within you.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n The persistent issue of customer aggression, which disproportionately impacts women in customer-facing roles, was highlighted by Gerard Dwyer, UNI President and Asia & Pacific Deputy President:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \u201cTrue decent work is free from violence and free from intimidation. Customer aggression is a scourge for all of us and we must push back. UNI Asia & Pacific can take great pride in pushing against customer aggression and our affiliates SDA and UA Zensen have taken the lead,\u201d said Dwyer, adding that over 20 affiliates have extensive campaigns against customer violence and aggression which disproportionately affects women and young people.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Addressing the gender pay gap\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\r\n Rajendra Acharya, Regional Secretary of UNI Asia & Pacific,<\/strong> emphasized the region\u2019s pressing need to close the gender pay gap, which restricts women\u2019s financial independence, strength and power.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \u201cWomen in the services sector are often paid less than men for the same work. We are focusing on closing the gender pay gap through equal pay policies and wage transparency,\u201d<\/em> he said. He also stressed the need to press more countries to ratify ILO Convention 190 to combat violence and harassment in the world of work.<\/p>\r\n Strategic priorities for the future\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\r\n Day one of the conference included discussions on two motions, starting with strategic priorities for 2024\u20132028. Key goals outlined included:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Transforming for a Decent and Sustainable Future\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\r\n The second motion, introduced by Sister Cheung Lai Ha from HKRRCGU, Hong Kong<\/strong>, focused on achieving decent work and sustainability through gender equality.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \u201cIn our knowledge-based economy, promoting decent employment and investing in human resources are vital for economic growth and social inclusion. Gender equality is essential not only for a sustainable future but also for achieving a just transition in the face of climate change,\u201d<\/em> she said.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Day 2 of the conference continues on 19 November.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 6th UNI Asia & Pacific Women\u2019s Conference opened on 18 November in Bangkok, Thailand, uniting over 200 women from 20 countries under the theme \u201cTogether to Transform for Gender Equality.\u201d Sister Nilaimol Montreekanon, representing UNI Thailand Liaison Council officially welcomed participants to the conference, leading chants of \u2018Su! Su!\u201d (fight, fight) to build women\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":26253,"template":"","categories":[],"global-issues":[],"sectors":[],"cross-sector-groups":[25],"workers-rights":[],"regions":[85],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-26252","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cross-sector-groups-equal-opportunities","regions-uni-asia-pacific"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n\t