Creation of an equalities department named “Mujer y Políticas Sociales”
Internal practice
Duration
Ongoing.
Reason it was developed
Recognition that gender equality issues persist both within the trade union and in wider society. FeSP-UGT represents service workers in the public sector with a high share of female members.
Activities
FeSP-UGT created an equalities department which now organises significant campaigns, as well as commissioning and disseminating research, implementing equality plans and arranging regular meetings at trade union level within different regions.
Results
• Campaigns organised by the department have included the Day for Wage Equality (22nd February), International Women’s Day (8th March), LGBTI Pride (June 28th) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. • With the funding of Madrid City Council and several universities, research has been carried out accompanied by action plans and communication campaigns. Examples of research include stereotypes and references to women in textbooks and the privatisation of gender-based violence services. • Equality plans are currently being implemented within schools through their “Igualdad Association”. • The department arranges regular meetings with departments in other regions of Spain to network, discuss challenges and ensure that they have a common strategy. • Having a unified message across the country can be problematic due to the sheer size and hierarchical nature of the organisation.
Funding
Trade union internal funding; but due to funding challenges, they have also had to seek funding from the European Commission, the Women’s Institute and Google.