TUC pledges to promote women’s rights, gender empowerment at workplaces

The Trade Union Congress of Ghana (TUC) said it will continue to promote women’s rights and gender empowerment in and out of the workplace and across the country.

The Trade Union Congress on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, as part of celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the cause of women.

The Congress in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said, the day offered an opportunity to reflect on the progress made, to call for positive change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The statement said the theme for this year’s celebration was, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality – the role of trade unions”.

The TUC recognises the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence, it said.

“Everywhere in the world, advancement in technology is affecting every aspect of our work, from the way we work and types of jobs that are available.

In the midst of these, there is a growing concern about how the changing nature of work will impact women. In times like this, the role of trade unions in advocacy and campaigning becomes even more paramount, ”it said.

However, the Congress has called on the Government to facilitate the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB) which is long overdue.

It called on the Government to also accelerate the process towards the ratification of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

The TUC further urged the Government to fast-track the ratification of ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection to extend the period of maternity leave to at least 14 weeks to give better protection to women.

“We salute all the hard-working women in Ghana. Let us continue to work together towards a more equal society with equal opportunities for men and women, ”the TUC said.