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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


MEMORANDUM FROM THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS
TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN


1. The World Conference on Women, which meets in the historic city of
Beijing only a few days before the 50th anniversary of the United
Nations, could well be a most significant step forward in the march of
humankind towards social liberation, which itself is impossible to
achieve without women's liberation, assuring equality of rights for one-
half of the world's population.

2. This Conference will be remembered for long for the largest ever
participation of national delegations, intergovernmental organisations as
well as of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). There is thus a
guarantee that if agreements can be achieved, better conditions now exist
to secure their implementation.

3. However, it is a matter of concern that despite the long period of
preparations at the national, regional and international levels, the
draft document for discussion at this Conference contains far too many
brackets highlighting disagreements. Such reservations, beginning as
early on as in the Preamble, show that the entrenched vested interests
which have always opposed equality of rights for women are far from
convinced about the need for real social change which can make democracy
meaningful.

4. Much has been achieved in advancing the cause of women's liberation
because of the worldwide upsurge of the women's movement for their social
liberation, in which the millions of working women who are trade union
members have been extremely active. This great mass movement of women
activists and trade unionists provided the background and the political
support for the implementation of the decisions of the previous World
Conferences on Women held in Mexico, Copenhagen and Nairobi, and it is
this massive force of public opinion which can create the conditions to
carry forward the aims of this Conference in Beijing.

5. The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and its affiliates in all
continents were actively involved in the preparations for the two major
U.N. conferences this year the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD)
and the NG0 Forum held in Copenhagen earlier this year, and the World
Conference on Women. Clearly, some of the most important issues before
the World Conference on Women were examined at the WSSD, and the
international community assumed the responsibility of implementing the
Ten Commitments. These commitments, which can be taken as a basis for
further action, include the following:

- the creation of an economic, political, social, cultural and legal
environment that will enable people to achieve social development;

- the eradication of poverty;

- the goal of full employment; and

- full respect for human dignity and to achieve equality and equity
between women and men, and to recognising and enhancing the participation
and leadership roles of women in political, civil, economic, social and
cultural life and in development.

6. However, as has been the case with regard to the conclusions of
previous U.N. Conferences and Summits, such as the World Summit for
Children held in New York four years ago, the conclusions and commitments
are not, to any significant extent, reflected in state policies or in the
policies of other major actors like the IMF and the World Bank, the main
architects of structural adjustment policies.

7. The ten years since Nairobi have witnessed a tremendous increase in
mass unemployment, affecting in particular women and young people, and a
general worsening of the social situation of women. As the Alternative
Declaration of the NGO Summit at Copenhagen underlined, structural
adjustment programmes imposed by the IMF and the World Bank have
consistently undermined economic and social progress by keeping wages
down, undermining the contributions and livelihoods of small producers,
and placing social services - particularly health care and education -
out of reach of the poor. It was stressed in the Declaration that "in
dismantling basic state services, these programmes have shifted an even
greater burden onto women, who care for the nutrition, health, well-being
and harmony of the family, as well as community relations."

8. Therefore, the first step towards rectifying the situation should be
to undertake a radical review of the economic and social policies pursued
thus far and to reorientate them in the direction indicated in the WSSD
Declaration and Programme of Action. This should mean a complete break
with neo-liberalist policies which are aimed solely at maximising
monopoly profits, neglecting the needs of working people, both women and
men. It is necessary to learn afresh from the successes and mistakes of
the past in the field of economic and social development. For example, as
the ILO underlined recently, the mass unemployment of today stands in
striking contrast to the full employment that prevailed in the
industrialised countries in the 1950s and 1960s. There are also several
instances of successful efforts in the past to create jobs in other
countries as well. Therefore, as the WFTU stated at the International
Labour Conference this year, we are not asking the impossible when we
call for effective measures to ensure full employment.

9. This reiteration of a full employment policy is now seen as essential
in any strategy to eliminate mass poverty. It is notorious that women and
young people form a major part of the unemployed and that a large
majority of those with insecure jobs or those suffering from
underemployment is constituted by women. The WFTU welcomes the proposals
in the draft Platform for Action concerning educational and training
opportunities for women at all levels to improve the prospects of their
getting quality jobs.

10. The WFTU also welcomes the proposals in the draft Platform for Action
concerning women's access to, and participation in the definition of,
economic structures and policies and the production process itself, and
on how to eliminate the inequality between men and women in the sharing
of power and decision-making at all levels. The guarantee of the right of
association for working women in all trades and professions, including
the self-employed, is crucial in this respect.

11. The depraved and desperate mentality of the reactionary forces
opposed to the free exercise of the right of association has been made
abundantly clear by the murder of Iqbal Masi, a 12-year-old boy who was
campaigning against the exploitation of child labour in Pakistan, on 16
April this year.

12. Many trade unionists, including women organisers, have been murdered
in cold blood by those who seek to perpetuate their exploitation. Women
who speak up against social injustice have been attacked, and some of
them forced into exile. All these abuses of the human rights of women
must be strongly condemned.

13. Strong measures should be taken to deal with the problem of sexual
harassment and even violence against women at the workplace. Job
insecurity and a lack of basic trade union rights have been reported from
a number of Export Processing Zones where a large number of women workers
are employed. The WFTU urges the Conference to insist that all
governments and employers, especially transnational corporations, take
measures to implement all international labour standards calling for the
elimination of discrimination against women with regard to wages and
working conditions.

14. The 13th World Trade Union Congress held in Damascus in November
1994, pointed out that while it is foreseen that the rate of
participation by women in the labour force will be close to that of men
by the year 2000, the quality of jobs is often sub-standard and
discrimination in wages and working conditions persists. With the
generalised attacks on job security by employers, part-time work and
various insecure forms of employment of women workers as well as sexual
harassment at the workplace, are on the increase.

15. The Congress deplored the fact that in many countries, women are
still denied the right to ownership of land and other means of
production, while they are often obliged to perform various forms of
unpaid work and their status lowered further. In some countries, they are
denied jobs if they are married and wish to have children, and if they
conceive, they have to give up their jobs. This is a denial of their
right to motherhood and the legal right to a job, and aggravates the
gross discrimination against women.

16. The United Nations, the IL0 and other specialised agencies and their
departments dealing with the implementation of the Platform for Action,
should develop further their co-operation with the world's trade unions,
representing the millions of organised working women, while dealing with
the task of implementing the decisions of this Conference. Such co-
operation should, in particular, be devoted to the immediate task of
creating jobs and eliminating the mass unemployment and the high levels
of underemployment which affect working women, in particular. The WFTU
expresses its readiness to participate actively in all such initiatives.
The Conference could recommend that all States adopt time-bound
programmes to achieve a significant reduction in unemployment and ensure
that the economic recovery does not remain a "jobless recovery".

17. In order to create jobs and meet people's needs, there should be
adequate investment in housing, educational facilities, health care -
including child care facilities infrastructural development, and
environment protection.

18 To find resources for development, there should be immediate
reduction in arms expenditure and a conversion of arms industries to meet
civilian needs, in the spirit of Disarmament for Job-creating
Development. The accumulated foreign debt of developing countries should
be cancelled, thus eliminating the huge debt service which drains
development resources from these countries. Another option to raise
development resources is to impose a tax on speculative capital
movements.

19. The big increase in productivity following technological innovation
in recent years justifies a reduction in working hours - a step which can
contribute to the creation of more jobs.

20. It is now recognised that there is a need to boost demand, which has
been declining as a result of cuts in the purchasing power of wages,
through wage rises, increased minimum wages, etc., and that this can
contribute to recovery.

21. Immediate action should also be taken to deal with the huge
unemployment and underemployment in rural areas by implementing the
Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Agrarian-Reform
and Rural Development held by the FA0 in Rome in 1979 . The documents
from that Conference stressed that rural development based on growth with
equity will require the full integration of women, including equitable
access to land, water, other natural resources, inputs and services and
equal opportunity to develop and employ their skills.

22. In conclusion, on behalf of its affiliates and associated
organisations in 120 countries, the WFTU conveys its best wishes for the
great success of the World Conference on Women in advancing the cause of
equality, equal rights and the common struggle for a better life for all,
peace and social progress.