Brazil: Trade union activism vs. gender-based violence pushed

In an effort to push back the rising tide of gender-based violence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, BWI affiliates in the Latin American and the Caribbean region (LACR) launched a “Trade Union Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV)” project in Brazil.

In a webinar organised by BWI-LACR in partnership with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Kingdom’s UNITE the Union last 9 September, 66 trade union women leaders from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay and Jamaica pledged their support to the project. The project, which seeks to address the rising number of GBV cases in the region, will hold a series of online trainings on digital activism designed for trade unionists to help in combating GBV. 

BWI Deputy President Gail Cartmail congratulated all those who made the event possible and committed to fully implement the project. 

"TUC is really proud to be part of this project. We believe that as part of the trade union movement, we are called to provide solutions to the gender-based inequalities and violence exacerbated by this pandemic,” said Cartmail, who is also UNITE’s Deputy General Secretary and TUC’s Representative. 

This was seconded by BWI LACR Women’s Committee President Fabiana Santos. “Projects like this, once again, show that class solidarity is important in achieving a world of work free from gender-based violence and discrimination.”

The webinar, which was streamed live over Facebook, was watched by 1,448 people.