SALUTATION
On behalf of the President, Jörg Hofmann, General Secretary, Valter Sanches and the Executive Committee Members of IndustriALL Global Union, I salute our women members and women worldwide on the occasion of 2017 International Women’s Day.

IndustriALL Global Union with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors, a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.

SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
International Women’s Day is held on March 8 every year to celebrate women’s achievements across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. It is a time to reflect on the progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extra ordinary roles in the history of their community and countries.

DEFEND WOMEN WORKERS’ RIGHTS
In virtually every society in the world, women are underrepresented in positions of leadership and power. The gender pay gap stands at 24 per cent globally.

IndustriALL and its affiliates all around the world have made significant inroads to defend the rights of women workers. They work continuously to organize women workers, develop women’s leadership in unions, achieve equal pay and equal representation, guarantee maternity protection, and fight against violence against women among many issues.

Our collective goal, as stated in IndustriALL’s action plan, is to organize more women workers and create opportunities and space for men and women workers to jointly fight for equal rights and opportunities, as well as equal pay. IndustriALL’s Statutes introduce a target of 40 per cent for women’s representation as part of the ongoing work towards equal rights and stronger representation of women throughout all levels of IndustriALL decision-making bodies.

IndustriALL affiliates across the globe are organizing activities to mark the International Women Day. Affiliates in Nigeria organized a rally and symposium yesterday, Tuesday March 7th 2017, in Lagos, to raise awareness on critical issues affecting women generally and women workers in particular. Affiliates in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines will be mobilizing to demand better maternity rights and benefits. In Sri Lanka there will be rallies in the north of the country where women suffer particularly poor working conditions and low wages. In Latin America, IndustriALL affiliates will be taking action in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina and in Sub Saharan Africa in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.

Lets use the occasion of International Women Day (IWD) to show determination to defend women workers’ rights and promote gender equality and parity.

THEME
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Consolidating the Gains of Gender Mainstreaming in the Trade Union”.

IndustriALL Global Union calls on women worldwide to be bold and courageous and support the effort by IndustriALL Global Union to building union power, confront global capital, defend workers’ rights, fight precarious work and ensure sustainable industrial development.

Happy Celebration.

Issa Aremu, mni
VICE PRESIDENT, IndustriALL Global Union