Women, in comparison to men, still

° receive less access to education and training

° receive lower pay for performing work of the same value

° have fewer opportunities for advancement

° are restricted from leadership positions in trade unions and in society

° continue to suffer discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, as well as sexual harassment and violence

° are subject to the effects of gender discrimination that is deeply rooted in all societies

° are concentrated in jobs which are low paid, part-time, temporary and/or casual, often intensive and harmful to health, and in addition are traditionally difficult to organise

AND AFFIRMING THAT

° Opportunities to work and to earn a decent wage must be equally available to men and women

° There can be no equality in employment without equality in the division of domestic responsibilities, including caring for children

° In a truly democratic society, women must be equally represented in its governments, parliaments and institutions

° Education is necessary to ensuring access to better employment opportunities so girls must have equal access to education

° Collective bargaining has a pre-eminent role in improving pay and conditions for women workers, so special measures must be adopted to ensure that women are included in collective bargaining and have the opportunity to put forward issues that concern them

° Women must have equal opportunity to work in any occupation and perform any type of work

° Pay and conditions improve for women workers when they are unionised yet the level of organisation of women into unions is far behind that of men

° The strength of unions is dependent on their capacity to fully represent all workers

IMF WILL

° Work towards an equitable representation of women in its structures

° Assist affiliates with recruitment strategies to organise women workers

° Work with affiliates to ensure women’s full integration into their unions

° Promote gender equality in leadership positions in unions

° Assist affiliates with campaigns to achieve equal pay for work of equal value

° Promote a fairer balance between work and family and support changes to traditional patterns of work that facilitate it

° Promote recognition of the needs of women workers in collective bargaining demands

° Increase participation by women in its work by ensuring that Special measures are taken to ensure that women are represented at IMF meetings, taking account of their representation in the relevant sector Union-building projects emphasise improved representation of women ­ Women’s representation in IMF is continuously monitored and reported on IMF delegations to other bodies incorporate gender equity

° Retain the minimum target of 20% participation by women for the next Central Committee and give consideration to raising it for the 2009 Congress

AFFILIATES WILL

° Ensure that women members are given opportunities to participate in IMF meetings

° Put forward women leaders to take on positions of responsibility within IMF

° Support the work of the IMF Women’s Committee

° Participate in consultations at the regional level to ensure that women members have a voice on the IMF Executive Committee

° Continue to pursue the goals of organising women workers and ensuring their fair representation at all levels of the union.