The African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUCAfrica) joins her teeming women members, all affiliates and the rest of the world to celebrate
the International Women’s Day.

The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender
Equality” helps to focus on ways towards achieving the effective implementation of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030 and in implementing other existing commitments
on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights.

Women’s participation rate in the labour market has stagnated at 26% below that of men. More
women are trapped in informal jobs which are of low quality, are precarious and undervalued.
In some countries women’s wages are still lower than that of men. Besides these challenges,
gender-based violence against women still persists.

On the other hand, in the trade union movement, women represent an average of 40% of the
membership and yet occupy only 15% of decision-making positions at the highest levels within
their organizations.

Throughout history, women have left their mark on society through their extraordinary
contributions. The International Women’s Day provides more opportunity to reflect on progress
made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women
who have played exceptional roles in the development of their countries and communities.
We therefore urge our affiliates to continue to promote progressive policies and programs to
make the trade unions the places for women, knowing that building workers’ power and
stronger trade unions means getting more women to be active members in the trade unions.

ITUC-Africa calls on African governments to be courageous in dismantling policies and
practices that reinforce women’s exclusion, marginalization and exploitation and also double
their national efforts to attain gender parity.

We urge the global community to commit to working together to achieve true and enduring
justice for ALL!

Viva working class women!

Viva African women!!

Viva women of the world!!!

Kwasi Adu-Amankwah – General Secretary

Issued from Lome, Togo 08 March 2016