SHOP TALK
NOVEMBER 2003
Raising Sensitive Issues in the Labour Movement: From the Personal to the Political and Back Again:
The Experience of Ditsela and Ditsela's adoption of four critical themes throughout their work namely:
Gender and Equality Unity and Diversity
HIV and AIDS Violence Against Women and Rape
On Thursday 13 November 2003, Steve Faulkner, the Director of Ditsela, spoke to a full house on the four critical themes weaved throughout Ditsela's work. Once again Shop Talk managed to provide a platform for collaborating organizations to not only set trends in SRH networking, but also shown the need to target SRH programmes at different clusters of people, such as the workforce.
Women workers - and particularly African women - have by far the larger share of unskilled and lower paid jobs in South Africa. 87% of domestic workers are women. And 75% of those are African women.
Women find it hard to enter particular sectors of employment, and more senior jobs. They generally get the short end of the stick when it comes to training opportunities.
It is similar in the trade union movement, with workplace and leadership issues, even though gender equality has been a trade union issue for many years. For example, in 1998 over 90% of women staff in unions worked as administrators. Very few are organizers or educators.
Our workers' movement did not ignore the victims and survivors of apartheid. We gave voice to the injustices so that they could be heard. We provided support and solidarity to help strengthen their resolve to continue the struggle. And we gave encouragement to their families and communities to provide practical help and safe places. Rape, violence against women and gender inequality like apartheid, is a crime against humanity...
Should you require a full report, please e-mail info@mscisa.org.za and a copy will be forwarded to you or visit the Ditsela website at www.ditsela.org.za
Above: Steven Faulkner, Director - DITSELA Above Middle: Dr Lucille Atkin - Int. Director MSCISA