The Second Convention of the Permanent Conference for Working Women Opportunities... Challenges

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اضيف الخبر في يوم الأربعاء ٠٧ - يناير - ٢٠١٥ ١٢:٠٠ صباحاً.

The Second Convention of the Permanent Conference for Working Women

Opportunities... Challenges

Within the framework of the activities held by “the Permanent Conference for Working Women”, CTUWS has organized the second annual convention for the Permanent Conference in Safeer Hotel. The activities took place throughout two days, the 19^th and 20^th of December, 2014. It started with presenting and discussing the report about the activities carried out last year by the conference and the opportunities and challenges that the members met through working to develop, strengthen and improve the conditions of the women in the working sector in order to support more democratic mechanisms. In this framework, the Permanent Conference adopts a course of action based on empowering working women socially, economically and politically in order to organize them in a way that allows them to advocate their rights and interests through a work program planned and executed by the members to achieve their goals.

A number of working women and labor and union leaders from Cairo, Alexandria, Al-Gharbiyah, Suez, Qina, Bani Suweif, Al-Daqahliyah, Al-Biherah, Aswan, Luxor, Giza, Al-Minoufiyah and Souhag participated in the Conference and the diverse audience covered different sectors represented in the governmental sector, the private sector, unorganized labor and the public sector. The 110 members also represented 48 unions and federations, most prominent of which were the unions representing workers in nursing, Farming pioneers, textiles, mail, real estate taxes, Library of Alexandria, specialized national institutes, workers in universities, workers in courts, health sciences, human development, radio engineering, agriculture, the workers university, education, petroleum an Tanta’s company for Flax.

Six sessions were held in the two days, starting with the opening session in which many important figures participated out of their strong concern about labor and union issues at the core of which are working women’s issues. The participants were: Dr. Ahmad Hassan Al-Boraei, former minister for manpower and ministry for social solidarity, Dr. Hala Shokr-Allah, head of Al-Dostour Party and professor of Law in Cairo University, Mr. Kamal Abbas, the General Co-cordinator for CTUWS and member of the national council for human rights, and Mr. George Ishaq, member of the national council for human rights.

Mr. Kamal opened the session by greeting the audience and explaining the idea behind the permanent conference and clarifying the motives and the urgent need for which a permanent conference for working women was established to take over tasks and priorities concerning Egyptian working women and putting them before the decision-makers. Also mentioned was the importance of developing the capacities of working women in order to be able to carry out their roles and face the strong need to improve their social and economic situation and be a key-partner in society.

Dr. Hala Shokr-Allah addressed her vision for the upcoming phase, welcoming the idea of the conference and pointing out the crucial need for this conference which should be a mouthpiece for Egyptian working women. She also mentioned the need to make every possible effort to develop the conference to empower Egyptian working women and support her participation as much as possible, making her a key partner in the decision making process for the society as a whole and especially the labor unions in which women have played a major role for the last few years by participating efficiently in establishing independent unions. She also stated the need for Egyptian working women to believe in their unlimited ability to cause changes that they dream of in society through a number of opportunities available to them.

Dr. Ahmad Hassan Al-Boraei addressed in his speech the importance of the role that independent unions play for all workers and the role of unions in general in supporting, empowering, and raising the issues of the labor movement in front of the whole society. He also talked about the importance of trade union freedom laws and the need to fight for its passage.

The second session included Dr. Amal’s presentation of the report on the activities the conference carried out throughout last year, as an analytic presentation was made for the activities through the opportunities and challenges that met the working team of the conference and how the team overcame such challenges.

The third session addressed the working women between a legislative reality and discriminating society. The session was headed by Dr. Howayda Adly , whereas the legislative facts with all their contradictions and issues were presented by Professor Rahma Refaat and the forms of discrimination and its social, economic and political in Egyptian society were presented by Mrs. Azza Kamel.

Mr. George Ishaq also gave a word welcoming the working women a d stressing the effects of her role and participation in society in general.

The first day was concluded with a screening of a documentary about the role of working women and the difficulties she faces within her family and society.

Continuing the activities of the Convention, the second day also witnessed three sessions. The first session addressed “What does working women want?” and was presented by members of the conference through introducing the challenges and successes of four experiences in Cairo, Alexandria, Qina and Al-Gharbiyah. The committee was headed by Mrs. Mona Fawzi and the presentations were made by Mrs. Mona Habeeb, Mrs. Sawsan Emran and Mrs.ZwinabFouad.

And within the framework of these union and labor experiences, the second session addressed raising the issues of working women through working groups that will introduce these issues o be worked on in 2015 through a specific action plan addressing the most important issues and how to implement them in each governorate.

The second day was concluded by the third session in which the working groups presented proposals for action plans, a final presentation to highlight the most important issues concerning women in each sector and a planning a complete regulatory, legislative, and social strategy to be implemented over the course of next year.

The strategy of the Conference came as following:

Firstly: Support and Assistance:
Support and assistance through expanding the activities of the permanent conference and the forms of day to day organization of work between all members to include all the governorates in Egypt and all labor sectors. The conference will also seek to coordinate with all initiatives, humanitarian and feminist entities, parties and unions to formulate a common vision and support strategies that empower working women in order to guarantee their efficient participation in the Permanent Conference for Working Women.

Secondly: Development of legislation and regulations:
Developing legislation and regulations through campaigns that puts pressure to develop and improve the social and legal legislation and activating existing laws that are not implemented in reality in order to confront the unprogressive culture which hinders women integration in work and organizations.

Thirdly: Discrimination and its reflection on working women:
Facing all forms of discrimination and violence against working women inside and outside her work. Discrimination was on top of the priorities list that discusses issues working women face relating to society, its culture, customs, traditions and laws.

Finally, we reaffirm that achieving social justice between everyone (men and women) is the first step in achieving equality in society as a whole. Since as long as the value of equality is stressed in society and becomes reflected laws organizing labor and related policies and practices, the community will take more steps in the direction of achieving social justice, development and equal opportunities and vice versa.

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