The International Women’s Committee was the first meeting to be held in Durban on 26 November 2017. Women members discussed key congress agenda issues. For BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson “Women in the BWI have made great strides in the last two decades."
Since BWI congress in Zimbabwe in 1997 establishing the first IWC, women in BWI have fought hard to get recognized. Yuson added: "As a result specific decision-making structures for women have been established in the BWI. Now it is time for women to take the struggle forward and the IWC has to ensure stronger women representation in leadership roles."
The IWC also deliberated on proposed amendments to the statutes and resolutions calling for greater participation of women in BWI structures and how these will impact women leaders and the work carried out on gender issues in the regions. Among their objectives, a women quota of 30% and a stronger sexual harassment policy.
For the chair of the IWC, Fatimah Mohammad: “There are more women members in our unions now and the unions are taking up their issues but only few women hold key leadership positions in the unions across the regions. The IWC is committed to take up this task – there are 120 women delegates in this Congress and we shall push for enhancing their representation in leadership positions and structures”.
The current Chair Fatimah Mohammad informed that the mandate for IWC Chair shall now be transferred to Europe for the next Congress period.