Public
Services International joins its members around the world in celebrating women
and their achievements on 8th of March. PSI promotes the work of women trade
unionists and stands united with all of our sisters who deliver vital public
services.
On
the eve of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, that will
focus in its 58th session on the post-2015 development agenda, we have to
recognize that a lot of work remains to be done to achieve gender equality.
Austerity and globalization have pushed millions of women out of the labour
market and most of the jobs created in the last decades are short-term,
part-time, temporary, casual or informal and largely precarious. A majority of
these lower paid, less protected workers are women.
Wage
inequality explains a big part of income inequality, because the share of wages
in total income declined over the last two decades in 70 % of countries with
available data, despite an increase in employment rates globally whereas the
share of profits in national income increased virtually everywhere (ILO).
Around the world, the gender wage gap remains a reality across the board,
including in the public sector.
To
address and redress income inequality, the post-2015 Development Agenda must,
above all, focus on employment, well-being and social security. This means that
it must also address gender inequity in the labour market and must address
social policies. This requires policies and laws to protect all workers,
whether in the informal or the formal economy, and to ensure compliance,
instead of impunity, of anti-discrimination and living wage legislation as well
as core labour standards. In addition, gender sensitive policies that take
account of the constraints and the discrimination faced by women and of the unpaid
care work carried out by women - must be designed and implemented.
Free
trade agreements and massive tax evasion by multinational companies and others
have undermined the ability of states to implement public policies that
increase the income position of low-income groups, because of international
legal constraints and decreased government revenues. To address economic and
social inequality effectively, the post-2015 development agenda must provide an
earmarked policy space for governments and social partners to define and then
implement efficient policies for employment and for social transfer – at the
same time as carving out public services from trade agreements.
But
inequality cannot be addressed through economic and labour policies alone. The
post-2015 Agenda must include a goal on the implementation of social protection
floors as defined in the Bachelet Report and the ILO Recommendation 202 that
sets an international standard to be applied at national level. To truly
reverse growing inequality and strive to achieve equity, targets must be
established for the basic social security guarantees that include universal
access to essential health care and basic income security to protect standards
of living when people are sick, unemployed, disabled and old, or cannot work
when having to care for infants or sick family members.
PSI
General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli says "The Post 2015 Development Agenda
is relevant for all countries in the world. We want the UN to promote policies
that will have a real impact on gender equality and social equity. Inclusion in
society is the only means to the full enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms. PSI works together with all its affiliates to achieve
that goal."
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