In the framework of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 69), the side event "Parity as a Strategy for Democratizing Trade Unions", organized by Fuerza Sindical Argentina and Feministas Sin Fronteras, brought together on Tuesday, March 11 in New York, outstanding union leaders, officials and gender specialists to discuss full parity and the democratization of trade unionism from a feminist perspective.

The session was attended by Marita Perceval, president of Fuerza Sindical Feminista, María Noel Leoni, Anita Peña, head of International Relations at the Chilean Ministry of Gender and Equity, and Beth Woroniuk, senior fellow at FFPC, who emphasized the need to include union representation in feminist foreign policies.

The day culminated with the second panel, dedicated to the voice of women trade unionists, where Verónica Montúfar, Equality Officer of Public Services International (PSI), highlighted the progress and challenges of global feminist trade unionism.

The feminist offensive in trade unionism: the contribution of PSI

Montúfar stressed that PSI has been one of the few international trade union organizations with parity in its statutes for 23 years and underscored three key elements of the feminist trade union offensive: the achievement of ILO Convention 190, which enshrines the right to a world of work free of violence and harassment. "That right exists thanks to the struggle of women trade unionists, but its implementation depends on our action within the unions," she emphasized.

Second, the care economy and the need to transform its social organization, a debate prompted by PSI in the wake of the pandemic. "We realized that the current structure is unjust, unviable and must be rebuilt," added Montúfar, stressing the urgency of integrating this issue into union agendas.

And finally, sexual and reproductive rights in the world of work, an issue that has gained relevance in PSI. "We launched a global survey on reproductive health on March 8 and we were surprised by the union interest in incorporating it into collective bargaining," she revealed.

The feminist union struggle as an engine for change

The panel also included interventions by Silvina Jurich, Yamile Socolovsky (CTA Argentina) and Giulia Massobrio (ITUC), who addressed the democratization of trade unions, the importance of making women visible in bargaining spaces and the need to continue advancing in the ratification and implementation of international conventions.

If we want to change inequality in the world of work, we must discuss how power is configured within our own organizations.

"If we want to change inequality in the world of work, we must discuss how power is configured within our own organizations," stated Socolovsky, reinforcing the importance of feminist union militancy.

Despite the adverse context in many countries, the trade unionists agreed that there are key tools for transformation, such as collective bargaining, freedom of association and the ILO's normative framework. The slogan "full parity" is not only a demand, but a commitment to the construction of a feminist, inclusive and transformative trade unionism.