Madam Patricia Nyman, the immediate past Women President, UNI Global Africa, a network of unions, has urged women to empower themselves through capacity building and aspire for leadership positions to effectively contribute to national development. Most women, however, wished to accept jobs at the top level 'but because they are overburdened with domestic duties and other family responsibilities, they shy away from accepting such jobs or progress to the top positions,' she said. Madam Nyman, also the National Gender Coordinator (Head of Department), South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union (SACCAWU), was speaking at a workshop on; Gender Equality and Collective Bargaining in Accra. It was organised by the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK) and UNI Global Africa, in collaboration with the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU-Ghana), Communications Workers Union (CWU-Ghana) and TUC Security Union, on the theme: 'Gender Equality: A Commitment for All'. Thirty participants from the collaborating affiliate unions attended the four-day intensive workshop, which discussed; Gender Equality, Sexual Harassment, Gender and Collective Bargaining, and Parental Rights. The objective of the UNI SASK Project is to enhance the collective bargaining power of the affiliate unions to achieve the agenda 40/40 set by UNI Global, to improve the working environment for women and increase union density, among others. Speaking on the Agenda 40/40, Madam Nyman said the five-year project was to achieve 40 per cent representation of women, 40 per cent for men, and 20 per cent of youth in union leadership positions. Gender, she noted, was more about how society expected women and men to behave, with societal constructions leading to the assignment of gender roles, power relations, and unequal resources between men and women at the workplace and elsewhere. She, therefore, urged women to empower themselves through constant training to progress to the top. 'It is also important for union leaders to include gender issues in their Collective Bargaining to ensure women have equal rights and benefits at their workplaces.' Mr Morgan Ayawine and Mr Joseph Hotor, the General Secretaries of ICU-Ghana and CWU-Ghana, respectively, commended UNI Africa and SASK for their continuous commitment towards gender empowerment and leadership training. They lauded the organisations for the long-standing relationship with their affiliates in Ghana and re-emphasised their commitment to sustaining the trust to achieve the set goals. Mr Alfred Lamptey, the Eastern Regional Officer of ICU-Ghana, said gender equality went beyond 'knowing how to prepare food or cleaning the house, which were basic skills everyone must have.' 'Gender equality was about giving the woman a voice in everyday decision-making and respecting her views to give her confidence and a sense of belonging to surmount every obstacle and attain a higher goal,' he said. Mr Justice Nyonator, Second National Trustee from CWU-Ghana, on behalf of the male participants, pledged to actively support women and promote a more equitable division of labour in their homes to relieve them to focus on their career and take up top positions. Participants, at the end of the workshop, agreed on the importance of leading by example and initiating change from within the home, which extended to the societal level. They said sexual harassment in any form was bad and must be handled with all seriousness, emphasising the need to encourage victims to open-up and report such cases for the proper sanctions.

Source: Ghana News Agency