Cupcakes and flowers may have become a popular way to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) in recent years, but did you know that IWD was first officially marked in 1911? On that day millions of women and men demonstrated for women's rights, including the right to work, vote, receive education, hold public office, and end discrimination – all demands which remain central to our movement today.
Over 70% of Fórsa’s members are women – and it’s the work that you do every day in your workplace, in your home, in your community and in your union that we are celebrating today.
Gender equality isn’t just an empty phrase for Fórsa. In the past year, our activists and officials have pursued campaigns and cases that have achieved real wins for working women in Ireland.
We campaigned for and achieved paid leave for workers experiencing domestic violence. We led the Stop the Stigma coalition’s work to ensure menstrual and menopause policies become the norm in workplaces across Ireland. We secured agreement that pregnancy related sickness should not be held against women when they are seeking promotion.
In recent years Fórsa also played a central role in pushing for gender pay gap reporting legislation, which finally came into effect in 2022. The gender pay gap of approximately 12% remains something women in Ireland are all too familiar with, and the reporting legislation must now be extended to cover smaller organisations and companies. The union movement must continue to campaign to end the gender pay gap.
Too often equal pay for equal work is a hollow principle that fails to account for the impact major life events such as pregnancy, caring responsibilities, and significant illness, can have on a woman’s pay and pension.
In addition, women are more likely to be in precarious, part-time and low paid work which puts them at greater risk of poverty. Here too, the union movement must keep the challenges faced by women workers to the fore.
Speaking at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Women’s Conference, taking place on 7th and 8th March, Margaret Coughlan, Fórsa activist and Chair of ICTU’s Women’s Committee said “A very happy International Women’s Day to all our members. I’m proud of the women in our union today and every day.”
“At this year’s ICTU Women’s Conference, we will debate motions on issues ranging from free access to health care to the EU Adequate Minimum Wage directive. There is simply no issue that the union deals with that doesn’t impact women. Thank you for the work you do for our union today, and every day.”
Ashley Connolly, Fórsa national secretary with responsibility for the union’s Equality Committee, said “Our union’s strength is our members. So many of the issues we have achieved wins on recently have come from our members. By bringing issues that face them to our attention, our members have made gender equality a priority for the union.”
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
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