Jotika Sharma, the chair of the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), is advocating for women to become involved in trade unions, asserting that their participation can significantly improve working conditions for the entire workforce.
During a panel discussion at the Women’s Forum, part of the 2024 CHOGM Samoa held on Monday, Ms. Sharma reflected on her experiences within a predominantly male trade movement. She emphasized the importance of establishing women’s working committees across various unions in Fiji to foster change.
“I realized that we needed more women to support the changes I sought to implement,” stated Ms. Sharma.
She explained that the initiative began with organizing women’s committees in different unions, allowing women to express their concerns and perspectives from the grassroots level, including in factories and enterprises, and eventually at the national level.
“Changing the mindset of the predominantly male environment was certainly challenging, and while progress has been made, we have not achieved complete success in this area yet,” she acknowledged.