From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy

UN Commission on the Status of Women 55th Session, 22 February - 4 March 2011

Background Get involved ! Discussion Paper Support working prepared jointly by women’s demands for Education International (EI), quality education for girls, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and Public Services International (PSI) and decent work for women! for the 55th session of the United Nations Commission on Visit our UN CSW 2011 the Status of Women (UN CSW55, New York, 22 February – Trade Union blog at: 4 March, 2011) under Item 3 (a) (i) of the Agenda: http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ Priority theme - access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work - 2 - Background document for 55th Session of UN Commission on the Status of Women, 22 February - 4 March 2011

From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy © Andrew Hitchcock, Wikimedia Commons

NOTE: A shorter version of this The Statement is also available in document has been received by the English, French, and Spanish on the United Nations Secretary-General, ITUC, EI and PSI websites (see back and will be posted as the official cover). Statement of EI-ITUC-PSI to CSW55. Available in all UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), this Statement will appear in the NGO Statements section of the UNCSW website. The web link is: For updates and http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/ to contribute to csw/csw55/documentation.htm our UN CSW 2011 Trade Union blog, see: http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy - 3 -

Introduction Defining the Broad Context of Gender and Development

All countries of the world crisis. These cuts are having and discriminations begin today are faced with the a negative impact on the early, often in the classroom challenge of achieving provision of quality public or through denial of access to sustainable economic growth services which are central to it. They are then perpetuated in a globalizing world where eradicating poverty through and exacerbated along the technological and scientific the delivery of health care, continuum from school knowledge are key to progress. education, and decent work to working life. Multiple But given global and national for women. Investments in dimensions compounding inequities, they are inevitably the public sector and in the gender discrimination include approaching the challenges social ministries charged with economic status, geographic from very different starting development, labour and location, lack of access points. In particular, in many gender equality should be to quality public services, countries, persistent gender increased not decreased in a ethnicity and disability. inequalities in educational time of crisis, if the Millennium systems, in the school to work Development (MDG) and In many developing countries, transition, and in working Education for All (EFA) goals are particularly in sub-Saharan life need to be addressed. to be achieved. Africa, children are failing to It is for this reason that the acquire basic literacy and global trade union movement, Given the importance of numeracy skills at the end of represented at the CSW by poverty eradication and their primary school years. EI, ITUC and PSI, is pleased sustainable development, These countries are falling to participate in the critical broadly defined, for economic short of EFA and MDG targets policy dialogue before CSW55, and social progress, trade relative to girls graduating from focusing on the linkages unions take the view that primary school. Admittedly, between education and the topic of S&T for women’s strategies to improve access training, including in science employment, needs to be to education have been put and technology (S&T), and the analysed in the broader context in place. These have resulted world of work. of the structured inequalities in increased enrolment that deny women in different numbers for girls, and progress Investment in all quality countries and economic towards gender parity in public services is a key driver sectors the opportunity to primary school completion. of development. As such, participate fully in and benefit High drop-out rates are still trade unions have grave from economic life. It should be prevalent, however, and they concerns with the reductions recognized that the education are higher for girls in a number to budgets supporting public of girls is of critical importance of developing countries. Only services which governments for the development of 60 per cent of all children in have undertaken in response societies. The evidence base sub-Saharan Africa complete to the current economic shows clearly that exclusions primary school, with girls - 4 - Background document for 55th Session of UN Commission on the Status of Women, 22 February - 4 March 2011

further behind than boys, can be explained by user fees. showing a 55 per cent figure Where these are in place, for primary school completion. parents are more motivated to We must look closely at the spend their limited resources complex interlinking factors on their sons’ education rather behind the high drop-out than on their daughters’, rates, including the quality of since, in their view, this latter education, the safety of the investment will be reaped, not learning environment. It has by them, but by their in-laws. been suggested, for example, that part of that differential

While there has been growth in female literacy rates in many regions, adult literacy data for 1985 to 2005 show that gender disparities continue to exist. Disparities are greatest in the Arab States, South and West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this, growth has been most substantial in South and West Asia, where the proportion of female adult literates has increased by almost 20 percentage points between 1985 and 2005. That being said, it should be noted that still over 500 million women remain illiterate today.

UNESCO UIS Infosheet No. 4, 2009

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Laying the Foundation for Gender-Inclusive Approaches at all Educational Levels

Drop-out rates are clearly addressing gender disparities teaching materials; a lack of associated with poverty, and in line with MDG and EFA goals, support for programmes to also the related phenomenon the foregoing analysis shows tackle the gender stereotyping of child labour, where girls are that severe development and segregation in education; severely affected. In India, for challenges still need to be and the lack of female role example, 96 per cent of child overcome. Addressing them in models for girls, both with labourers live in households an adequate manner is critical respect to teachers of science where per capita income is less for laying the foundation and technology at all levels of than USD $2 per day, and young for progress with gender- education, as well as women girls account for 42 per cent of inclusive education at all levels, who have pursued professional all children in employment. Girls including in S&T. In addition, or managerial careers in the face additional challenges of where satisfactory progress area of science and technology. vulnerable, at risk employment in S&T is being made, gender in the entertainment industry disparities persist, and need to where they are victims of be addressed. trafficking, or as domestic workers, where the majority In some regions and countries, of girls trapped in abusive (Latin America, the Caribbean, child labour are to be found. North Africa), girls and young Structured discriminations also women are showing good affect the girl child in rural areas, academic performance in S&T given that some 70 per cent of at the secondary and tertiary poor women live in rural areas levels, even outperforming and are engaged in low wage boys and young men. However, employment as own account statistics indicate that girls and workers or as workers on women show a preference for family farms, or in the informal the life sciences (medicine, economy. They can ill afford to biology, biochemistry), rather keep their children at school, than for physics, engineering and once again prefer to use and computer sciences. A the girl child as family help. number of factors contribute to these choices: gender Despite commendable stereotyping of so-called progress in developing male and female career paths, education systems and which is often reflected in - 6 - Background document for 55th Session of UN Commission on the Status of Women, 22 February - 4 March 2011

Academic Achievement and Professional Advancement in S&T – A Mismatch Where girls gain access, they fact that both classroom achieve. Clearly, increasing and work environments in numbers of women are the S&T field are hostile to completing university level women, while they reward programmes in S&T and men’s performance. Gender engineering, but this is not stereotypes about these being translated to equal being “masculine territory” career chances and salaries. help to sustain the gender After initial entry into S&T unfriendliness with regard fields, opportunities for career to women’s pursuit of advancement are minimal, careers in these fields. In the and retention is poor. A high scientific environment, the level of vertical segregation prevailing ethos rewards has been noted, with women long hours of commitment concentrated in the lower to professional endeavours echelons of the occupational and publications. Without the ladder, facing barriers that necessary policies in place to hinder advancement to senior encourage an equal sharing research and managerial of family responsibilities positions or professorships. between women and men, Attrition rates for girls and this represents a further barrier women have been noted for women who must then across the school to work combine professional with continuum in S&T fields, family responsibilities. Not but are particularly marked only are women’s roles in in the university to work social reproduction and the transition. There is clearly care economy not recognized, a mismatch between women are actually penalized educational attainments for for their efforts to balance women on the one hand, and these roles with professional career advancement and job careers in the S&T field. remuneration on the other, as compared with men; and pay inequity is also persistent.

For updates and The high attrition rates noted, to contribute to have been attributed to the our UN CSW 2011 Trade Union blog, see: http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy - 7 -

From the Classroom to the Decent Workplace – A Holistic Approach

Denying women opportunities formulated along three major and IT equipment, and for full participation in the S&T axes, and in a gender-inclusive making them accessible and fields results in the loss of a way: attractive to girls; valuable resource pool, much • Improving the educational • Improving the cadre of needed for contributing to the curriculum and teachers in quantity and shaping of a gender-inclusive, methodologies to make them quality through adequate people-centred, knowledge relevant to the achievement recruitment, induction, economy; and it is a denial of of quality education for all, and retention strategies, women’s fundamental rights. lifelong learning, and the including pre and in-service To be sustainable, policies world of work; ensuring training, opportunities for that address this sphere an adequate supply of professional development of gender inequality must textbooks and materials; and advancement, adequate operate within a holistic policy removing embedded gender remuneration; removing pay framework geared to tackling stereotypes; organising inequity. the full range of development gender-sensitive training for challenges and structured teachers; Moreover, there is a need inequalities that impede for policies, programs and the smooth transition from • Improving the physical and campaigns geared to raising the classroom to the decent material environment in terms awareness and combating workplace. of user-friendly buildings negative stereotypes, and which ensure they are safe encouraging girls to embark Achieving quality education spaces for girls, including on all fields of study, including is key. Policies for quality sanitary facilities; ensuring an science and technology. education need to be adequate supply of technical

Decent Work

As stated in the ILO’s 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, Decent Work encompasses four strategic objectives: employment, social protection, social dialogue and tripartism, and fundamental principles and rights at work. In its efforts to achieve gender equality, the ILO has adopted a holistic approach, to ensure that gender equality is cross-cutting through all four objectives.

Source: ILO Resolution 2009 concerning Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work – para 13.

Creating an Enabling Environment in Support of Women’s Access to Full Employment and Decent Work

Access to quality public services, whether in health Decent Work and social care, water and Strategic Objective 1 sanitation, electricity and - Employment fuel, public administration, vocational training and Gender sensitive employment policies are further education, is critical to overcoming the decent work deficit, fundamental to women’s to addressing issues of feminized poverty, access to full employment particularly in the informal economy, pay and decent work. An unequal inequity, occupational segregation, exploitative distribution of household conditions of work, precarious work, equal and care responsibilities access to opportunities for education and skills between women and men development. continues to limit women’s full participation in labour markets Source: ILO Resolution 2009 concerning Gender Equality and in decent work that is at the Heart of Decent Work – paras 14, 16 and 17. permanent, and secure. Gender segregation further limits women’s full participation in labour markets. Women – and in particular young women – are especially vulnerable to ‘precarious’ employment that is temporary or casual, is generally low-paid, with little or no social protection. Policy measures aimed at ensuring women’s access to full employment and decent work For updates and must address these prevailing to contribute to decent work deficits. our UN CSW 2011 Trade Union blog, see: http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ © Reporters.be/Alisson Joyce, 2010 From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy - 9 -

Conclusions – Applying a Comprehensive Policy and Normative Framework

The policy and normative framework exists to underpin such an enabling environment Decent Work so it delivers on real gender Strategic Objective 2 equality. It must now be - Social protection applied. The framework consists notably of: The ILO strongly recommends the establishment, at national • The Beijing Platform for level, of sustainable, tax-based models of universal social Action, and the Convention security that are gender sensitive, and that provide citizens on the Elimination of all with key services such as quality health care, unemployment Forms of Discrimination benefits, maternity protection, and a basic income. Legislative Against Women. provisions and labour policies must also include occupational health and safety measures, affordable child care, and • Key ILO Conventions: dependent care, as well as cash transfers and employment the Equal Remuneration guarantee schemes, as measures to combat poverty, ensuring Convention 1951 (100), women’s full access to all services and benefits. Key to fair the Discrimination inclusive access is the application of ILO Convention 156 on (Employment and Family Responsibilities. Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No 111), the Source: ILO Resolution 2009 concerning Gender Equality at the Heart of Workers with Family Decent Work – paras 25, 26 and 28. Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), the Maternity EI, -ITUC and PSI call on It is also important that policy- Protection Convention , Member States at the CSW55 makers establish consultative 2000 (No 183). to introduce and strengthen processes that allow for social policy interventions within dialogue with trade unions this policy and normative who, from their experience, framework, geared to can contribute greatly to the overcoming the structured policy-making process that discriminations and barriers boosts the important nexus affecting the life chances of between education and girls and women in terms training, and decent work. of adequate education and training that prepare them and enhance their opportunities for full and productive employment and decent work. - 10 - Background document for 55th Session of UN Commission on the Status of Women, 22 February - 4 March 2011

Decent Work Strategic Objective 3 - Social Dialogue

Social Dialogue and tripartism are essential policy tools to advance gender equality. They involve government, employers, and workers’ representatives coming together, and engaging in dialogue towards the establishment and implementation of non-discriminatory legislation and gender equality policies and measures. Collective bargaining is a key means of determining adequate terms and conditions at work-place level. Collective bargaining must incorporate key gender equality objectives such as overcoming the pay gap, providing childcare, removing violence and harassment from the workplace, and instituting work/ family measures. Tripartite consultative bodies must be established or strengthened, with a view to institutionalizing dialogue on gender issues with the social partners (governments, workers and employers), and with the parties to the negotiation of collective agreements. All of these actors should be trained on how to incorporate gender equality provisions into policies and collective agreements. Affirmative action measures should be put in place to ensure the full participation of women trade unionists, both in social dialogue, and in the collective bargaining process.

Source: ILO Resolution 2009 concerning Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work – paras 36 and 37.

Collective bargaining should be used as a key instrument to promote gender equality outcomes such as pay equity, equal opportunity for professional advancement, maternity protection and the equal sharing of family For updates and responsibilities, as enshrined to contribute to in the ILO Conventions cited our UN CSW 2011 above. Trade Union blog, see: http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ From the Classroom to the Workplace – Positioning Women for Decent Work in the Knowledge Economy - 11 -

Decent Work Strategic Objective 4 - Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

International labour standards are a primary means to promote equality in the world of work. Key Conventions in this regard are the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). These need to be ratified, implemented and monitored by all member States. In addition, the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), and the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), call on States to provide policy guidance and practical means for reconciling work and family responsibilities, and for protecting pregnant workers. Respect for these Conventions, backed up by appropriate policies, is of critical importance for achieving gender equality. Finally, two fundamental Conventions are of particular relevance to gender equality, the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No.87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98),which contain enabling rights to pursue gender equality. The application of these two Conventions is particularly important for the realization of all other rights, including the human rights of women.

Source: ILO Resolution 2009 concerning Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work – paras 29, 30 and 34.

© Reporters, 2009 Unions play a crucial role in organising women, women are not discriminated against in their negotiating better working conditions, and workplaces, and that they have the right to Trade providing women with fair access to decent join trade unions and engage in collective jobs. Labour representation gives working bargaining. unions women the power to advance their rights both in the workplace and society. Trade union Given the current need to monitor and address empower organizations work to ensure that women’s the impacts of the economic crisis on women, rights are protected and respected at all levels, two further policy instruments, adopted by the working and supported by legislation. This includes ILO at its 98th International Labour Conference promoting women as leaders and decision- in June 2009 are of special significance. These women makers at all levels within their unions, regional are: the ILO Global Jobs Pact and the ILO bodies, and international institutions, such as Resolution concerning Gender Equality at the the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Heart of Decent Work. the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). Many women work in the informal economy without legal protection. Trade union The United Nations Convention on the federations and confederations are working to Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination have labour legislation applied to the informal against Women (CEDAW) and the ILO economy, to formally recognize the rights of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work these vulnerable workers and to provide social set out principles designed to ensure that security coverage for them.

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Education International Education International (EI) 5, Blvd du Roi Albert II is a global union federation of unions representing 30 million teachers and education BE-1210 Brussels workers, through affiliates in 172 countries and territories. EI stands up for quality public BELGIUM services, most especially the right to quality public education for all, particularly girls in Tel: +32 2 224 0611 deprived areas. Ensuring that teachers are qualified and schools are safe for children and Fax: +32 2 224 0606 teachers guarantee the provision of quality education. EI’s First World Women’s Conference [email protected] On the Move for Equality took place in January 2011, in Thailand, with a focus on achieving www.ei-ie.org gender equality in education, unions and society.

Public Services Public Services International (PSI) International is a global union federation representing more than 20 million women and men working BP 9, F-01211 primarily in public services across the globe. Two-thirds of our members are women, many Ferney-Voltaire Cedex of whom work in the health and social care sectors. PSI believes in affirmative action to FRANCE achieve gender equality and promotes a “50/50 policy” amongst our affiliates, encouraging Tel: +33 450 40 6464 equal participation in leadership between women and men. PSI campaigns for the strong, Fax: +33 450 40 7320 quality public services that are key to empowering women, and advocates on specific issues [email protected] including the need for pay equity, maternity protection, and an end to violence against www.world-psi.org women.

ITUC International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) 5 Blvd du Roi Albert II, Bte 1 is the overall global union organization representing over 168 million workers, through ForBE-1210 updates Brussels and affiliated members in 155 countries and territories. At the first ITUC World Women’s to BELGIUMcontribute to Conference in October 2009, delegates expressed deep concern at the negative impacts ourTel: UN +32 CSW 2 224 02112011 of the global economic crisis on women, and affirmed that the commitment to advancing Fax: +32 2 201 5815 gender equality must not be eroded by the crisis. Strong support was given to the recently [email protected] Union blog, see: adopted International Labour Conference resolution on gender equality at the heart of www.ituc-csi.org decent work, which emphasizes that “crises should not be used as excuses to create even http://unioncsw.world-psi.org/ greater inequalities nor undermine women’s acquired rights”.