The project will extend over three years (2023-2025) and builds upon a previous project round that aimed at strengthening women's organizational and campaigning capabilities in leadership positions. These earlier phases of the project saw most unions adopt quotas for women in leadership roles, enabling them to gain experience and skills to campaign for the modification of discriminatory laws and advocate for gender-sensitive bylaws.

In the first year of this new phase of the project, many partners made significant strides. They developed their women's committees, revised bylaws, continued campaigns to amend discriminatory laws, and forged strong partnerships with other trade unions and civil society organizations.

The baseline document reveals that 27 out of 35 project partners increased the number of women in leadership positions. Some unions, particularly in Egypt, Palestine, and Morocco, adopted a gender mainstreaming approach, ensuring women's participation in all trade union discussions. Workplace negotiations in various sectors across Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Tunisia led to important agreements, including improved occupational safety and health measures, protection for women facing harassment, and childcare provisions for women workers.

Campaigns to amend discriminatory laws, carried over from the previous phases of the project, continued. Through monitoring and evaluation of campaign plans, project partners developed strategies to address challenges, including workplace visits, increased awareness among rank-and-file members, and engagement in negotiations with stakeholders, including international agencies like the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In 2023, the first project year, most participating unions demonstrated commitment to gender equality. Over 28 unions reported actions addressing gender inequality, violence, and harassment. Significant progress was made in building gender-fair union structures through bylaw revisions, adoption of codes of conduct, and negotiations. Women's participation in union activities ranged from 11% to 60% in sectors with high female employment rates.

Partner unions in at least one project country achieved results in addressing workplace violence and harassment through national legal and policy frameworks. Partner unions in all the countries have conducted campaigns on gender equality and violence and harassment prevention. Participating unions in four countries have engaged in social dialogue or representation on these issues. In most of the countries affiliates are actively campaigning for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.