This year, at the sixty-ninth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women – CSW69, which took place in New York from March 10 to 21, the IDWF co-sponsored six events, participated in over 15 key events and strategic meetings, joined the “No Backlash to Women’s Rights” rally, built solidarity bridges, and strengthened alliances. As a result of these actions and the joint efforts alongside the labor movement and allies, the Global Union’s demands on decent work, the care economy, social protection, and the crucial role of trade unions were included in the Political Declaration adopted by Member States at CSW69.
The Political Declaration reaffirms the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, originally adopted in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women, emphasizing the need to uphold all human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman and girl, without exception. It highlights the importance of eradicating poverty in all its forms, including through ensuring women’s and girls’ right to education — particularly in STEM fields — and increasing public investment in care systems.
Amid the global backlash against gender equality, democracy, and the full exercise of labor and human rights, the CSW69 outcome marks a significant victory for trade unions and women workers worldwide, as it highlights the importance of decent work, social protection, and care policies in achieving gender equality. “This agreement is a milestone in reinforcing the multilateral system, with the UN’s role as the peak multilateral body, as a framework for advancing gender equality. At a time when multilateral democracy at the global level is under attack, the ITUC strongly supports this reaffirmation of global cooperation to drive progress,” said the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Luc Triangle, in the ITUC Statement about the Political Declaration.
Our key wins in the CSW69 outcome include:
Decent work: Governments commit to enforcing labor rights, in line with ILO international labor standards, such as the right to organize and bargain collectively, acting against workplace discrimination and violence in the world of work, promoting equal pay for equal work, and supporting the transition from informal to formal work.
Care economy: A commitment to the representation, remuneration, and reward of care workers with improved working conditions, increased public investment in integrated care systems —including universal care services and paid leave policies—, and tackling the unequal burden of unpaid care work on women while promoting work-life balance.
Social protection: A call for universal, gender-responsive social protection systems, including floors, ensuring that women in informal and precarious work have equal access to essential protections.
Trade union recognition: Governments recognize trade unions as key stakeholders and the need to protect the right of civil society, including unions, to operate freely.
The achievements of Global Unions become even more significant when we consider that some governments did everything possible to water down the Declaration. In fact, a reference to “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights” was deleted in the final version of the text, despite being a key element of gender equality.
“Despite many governments still refusing to use the words ‘gender,’ ‘diversity,’ and ‘femicide,’ this was a significant step forward. The fight continues from our trenches to achieve decent work for domestic workers, who represent at least 30% of the women who care for the world and, despite this, still face conditions of lack of protection, invisibility, and lack of recognition.”
Adriana Paz Ramírez, IDWF General Secretary
The IDWF and the Global Unions will hold governments accountable for turning their commitments into action and ensure that women workers enjoy tangible improvements in their rights, working conditions, and access to social protection. Let’s keep fighting for gender equality, decent work, and dignity for everyone in the world of work. Together, we can realize the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
