This Action Programme sets down specific measures that ITUC recommends trade unions take to eliminate  gender discrimination and promote full participation of women in trade unions. Other support from the ITUC  Women’s Committee includes an ITUC charter on the Rights of Working Women, action on International  Women’s Day, a Guide on Sexual Harassment, organising, development of campaign kits, migrant workers  and diversity (action against racism and xenophobia based on sex, race, colour, religion, national extraction,  social origin, age, disability, health and sexual orientation).

Another important aspect  of the Action Programme is the Gender Checklist for Projects and Programmes:

- Are women a main target of the project? If not, are women specifically
identified as part of the project/programme?
- Have women’s representatives been consulted on all aspects of the project/
programme – its design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation?
- Are barriers to women’s participation identified and have ways of overcoming
them been considered? (attending meetings outside working hours,
childcare, safe transport at night, different traditions and cultures which
don’t allow women to go to meetings, etc.);
- Are women included in the target group for the project/programme and if
not, what is being done to make sure that women participate as well?
- How will the project/programme strengthen women’s position compared
to that of men?
- How will the project/programme improve awareness of issues concerning
equality in trade unions?

- When issuing invitations and announcements of meetings and events, does
the wording itself appear to be speaking to men only? Carefully look at what
language is being used;
- Women's representatives are to be actively involved in all decision-making
at every stage of the project cycle: planning, implementation, monitoring,
evaluation and resource-management;
- Gender perspectives are to be fully integrated in projects and programmes;
- All those involved in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
projects/programmes will be made aware of this agreement.
Read more