Female Voices

Our Highlights

Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar, Doha

The Trade Union Regional Program of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in cooperation with the Arab Trade Union Confederation, participated in the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha from 3 to 6 November 2025, with a delegation of 15 trade union representatives from the Arab region.

The event brought together more than 8,000 participants, including presidents and governments, UN organizations, trade unions, civil society actors, academics, representatives of the private sector, and youth, to renew the global commitment to social justice and to place people at the center of the sustainable development process.

The summit discussions focused on the need to build a more just and equitable international system in the face of mounting crises—from wars and climate change to widening inequality—and emphasized that true development should be measured by human dignity, decent work opportunities, and comprehensive social protection, rather than solely by figures and financial indicators.

The participation of Arab trade unions took place in the context of defending a unified trade union position on social justice and articulating perspectives that place workers’ voices at the heart of global debates on the future of development and work.

Second Arab Women Trade Union Conference in Casablanca

The city of Aldar Casablanca hosted the Second Conference of Arab Women Trade Unionists on 25-26 September, 2025 jointly organized by the Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, with the participation of delegations of women trade unionists from across the Arab region.

The conference provided a platform for dialogue and the exchange of experiences among trade unions, aiming to promote a more just and inclusive Arab trade union movement, advance equal opportunities, and empower women to assume leadership roles in trade union work and within their communities.

Arab Women in Trade Unions Network Meeting – Casablanca 2025

The Arab Women in Trade Unions Network met 27-28 September 2025 under the slogan “Freedom – Equality – Social Justice” with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The meeting brought together participants from Morocco, Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Key outcomes of the meeting included:

Presentation and discussion of a study on the situation of women in Arab trade unions.
Review of the network’s strategic plan to enhance its impact across the region.
Conducting a training workshop on mobilization and advocacy to strengthen participants’ skills.
Launching implementation steps for the next phase of the network, outlining a clear vision for joint action and regional collaboration.

The meeting provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences, build regional partnerships, and develop concrete strategies to promote women’s participation and leadership in trade unions across the Arab world.

Capacity-Building for Bahraini Women

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions, in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, held the first session of the Trade Union Women’s Capacity-Building Program on 22–23 July 2025 in Manama. The program brought together women trade unionists and workers from key sectors to develop leadership skills and strengthen capacities in a rapidly changing labor market.

The program included interactive workshops on the use of artificial intelligence in the education sector, digital tools for teachers, and the fundamentals of trade union work and women’s union membership. Participants also took part in discussions on labor law, the rights of working women, and the challenges and opportunities facing the education and kindergarten sectors amid digital transformation.

In addition, a session of the Women’s Network Meeting on 24 July 2025 focused on the kindergarten sector under the theme “Kindergarten: Challenges of the Present and Hopes for the Future”. This session highlighted the kindergarten sector as an important part of the Bahraini labor market, noting its links to women’s employment and family welfare. The discussion included measures to support wages for workers in this sector and explored opportunities for increased private-sector engagement, as well as strategies to promote women’s participation and leadership within kindergartens.

The program concluded with calls for inclusive social dialogue and ongoing capacity-building initiatives to support women in navigating technological and structural changes in the labor market.

Guidelines for Gender Equality in Trade Union Work

Trade unions are drivers for transformative change. For sustainable change, gender justice is indispensable. Therefore, trade unions have to transform themselves into gender-just organisations.

by Natalia Figge und Priyanka Kapar