PERC Women’s Committee meeting , Brussels 19 February

The first meeting of the PERC Women’s Committee for 2015 took place on 19 February in ITUH in Brussels.
The main issues on the agenda of the meeting were discussion of the draft plan of work for 2015 and preparation of the contribution of the PERC Women’s Committee for the PERC Executive Committee to take place on 9 March.

The program included a round table with all committee members as concerns the challenges and activities in different PERC countries, the evaluation of the PERC Women’s School in Tallinn in 2014 , discussion on improving communication and relations with all women’s structures in the PERC region.

Both ITUC and ETUC representatives have been invited to the meeting. The ETUC Confederal Secretary, Claudia Menne, presented the main priorities of the ETUC as concerns gender issues , the worrying social situation in Europe with increase of unemployment, the preparation of the ETUC Congress to take place in September in Paris, updates on the maternity protection discussion, the outcomes of the ETUC project “Who cares” and challenges linked with demographic change in Europe.

The ITUC Equality Department Director, Chidi King, referred to the ITUC resolutions of the last ITUC Congress in Berlin, presented the main priority lines: continuation of the Domestic workers campaign and lobbying for ratification of C 189 in different countries , the Count us in campaign on leadership and economic agenda for women and care economy, Decisions for Life campaign , gender based violence agenda and lobbying the European governments for an ILO standard on violence, organizing young workers agenda and the role of the Organizing Academy, the informal economy discussion in the ILO and the migration agenda linked with the climate change.

PERC Women’s Committee decided to include in its work plan the main priorities discussed with both ITUC and ETUC: continuation of the domestic workers campaign, promoting women in decision making positions and organizing women in unions, training activities for young women and men on leadership and communication skills, participation in international events and ETUC and ITUC projects and campaigns.
The committee discussed also some proposals as concerns the functioning of PERC statutory bodies and the necessity to improve the gender balance and support participation of women in all activities.