Women Partners in TU Leadership
Social and economic transformations underway in the Middle East and North Africa are paving the way for improved gender equality for journalists in the workplace. The media sector illustrates these changes, with rapid growth in numbers of women journalists but too few of them are to be found in decision-making positions. While women journalists are joining unions more than ever before, they remain poorly represented in their executive boards where men maintain, an overwhelming majority.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), committed to campaigning for equal rights for women journalists launched the Women Partners in TU Leadership campaign to encourage women journalists in the MENA region to engage in trade-union work through training, networking, communication campaigns and lobbying and stand for election to the decision-making bodies.
The campaign was launched in April 2008, when women journalists representing national journalists' unions from 11 countries met in Tunis, to discuss trade union work and leadership challenges facing women journalists in the region. The conference adopted the following priorities and recommendations:
1. Increase rate of representation of women in unions' leadership positions and consider the introduction of quota systems
2. Develop trade union work capabilities for women through training
3. Involve male colleagues in all gender equality related issues
4. Strengthen trade-union policies protecting women's trade-union rights (Charter of Ethics, Constitution, etc.)
5. Ensure safety of women journalists and trade-unionists in conflict areas
6. Protect women journalists against violence and harassment at work
7. Insert gender equality provisions in collective bargaining agreements.
8. Encourage women's solidarity to strengthen their role in the union.
To read the full meeting conclusions in English click here