DEADLINE EXTENDED
APPLY BY 2ND JUNE 2017
4th ‘Women Leading, Women Organising’ Training
Trade unions training for migrant workers
Manila, The Phillippines
25th-29th July 2017
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) will convene its 4th ”Women Leading, Women Organizing’ Training” in Manila, the Philippines from 25th-29th July, in association with the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights. The training will precede the ASEAN People’s Forum on 30th July-1st August 2017.
APWLD’s 3rd Trade Union Training
Background:
Asia Pacific is home for 17.2 per cent of migrant workers worldwide, or about 25.8 million persons. Of those, about 50% are women1. In terms of migration route, the region consists of sending, receiving, and transit countries. The majority of women migrant workers in the region are in vulnerable employment such as domestic work, entertainment, factory, plantation and other precarious works that distinctly have weak labour and social protection.
Women migrant workers take up the majority of the work that provide the basis for economic growth in countries of origin and destination. Five countries in Asia Pacific are in the top ten remittance receiving countries worldwide in 20152. However, most countries do not guarantee protection of migrant workers under their labour laws or other existing regulation. Where MOUs are available, they do not accord to the international convention such as UN Convention on Protection of Migrants and Their Families.
In Asia-Pacific, only the Philippines has ratified ILO c.189 which recognizes the domestic work. To this date, there is no dedicated international governance mechanism on migration. The faith of migrant workers are left in the hand of recruitment agencies and human traffickers.
Furthermore, the states in the region also favor neoliberal economic policies that undermines national policies such as Decent Work and Living Wage agenda. The launch of ASEAN Economic Community has also further promoted deregulation, resulting in the weakened labour power.
Regardless of their condition and limitation, the migrant workers including the women migrant workers have been organising themselves into various groups. They use available information, knowledge and access to assert their rights and create unity to assist each other in time of problems.
Aside from organising among the migrant workers groups, trade unions in sending, receiving and even transit countries also play undeniably significant role in safeguarding the rights of migrant workers in their respective countries. In time of crisis where rights of all workers particularly migrant workers are deteriorating, there is an urgent need to foster solidarity between migrant groups, trade unions and other civil society groups in the region.
The ASEAN People’s Forum, to be held during 30th July-1st August 2017 and back-to-back with this training, will provide good opportunities for the participants to learn more about the relevant issues, network with other grassroots organisations, and utilise the space as advocacy platform.
Training Objectives:
- Enhance the leadership, voice, influence and capacity of women in migrants organisations and trade unions so that the participants are able to promote feminist justice in organisational structures, programs and campaigns
- Increase trade union organising, collectivism in informal sectors where migrant workers are the majority and largely non-unionised
- Increase the capacity of women migrant workers and trade union leaders in organising and advocate for Development Justice in particular Decent Work and Living Wage at national, regional and international levels
- Increase the capacity of women trade union leaders to organise and advocate for the rights of migrant workers
Training methods and content:
The training will focus on labour rights, and migrant workers’ rights in the context of globalisation, fundamentalism, militarism, and feminist development justice. The sessions will seek to develop participants’ capacities in terms of organising methods; feminist analysis of work; leadership skills; collective bargaining, and the agendas of the Decent Work, Development Justice, etc
Target:
- women migrant organisations and unions from Asia Pacific countries (15 pax)
- women leaders from trade unions or human rights based organisations, who are interested/already involved in migrant workers’ rights (5 pax)
Requirements:
- Women delegates, organisers from migrant workers organisations and trade union leaders (both registered and unregistered, informal unions or associations are eligible)
- Engagement in migrants’ rights organisation or trade union/s for minimum of 1 year
- Able to fully attend the training from 25th-29th July and ASEAN People’s Forum on 30th July-1st August as well.
- The workshop and learning material will be in English. Applicants who are not proficient in English may be considered where another participant can support translation. Organisations may nominate two participants with one being an English speaker.
- APWLD members as well as non-members from across Asia Pacific may apply. Applications from unions/organisations who have attended in previous trainings are also welcome.
Expectations and obligations of participants:
Pre-training (guidelines and materials will be provided by APWLD):
- Collate and submit national information and relevant case studies
- Accomplish reading materials,as provided, prior to participating in the training
During training:
- Actively participate and share knowledge, expertise and experiences, including making presentations, mock speeches etc.
- Develop a personal action plan at the end of the training
Post-training:
- Maintain regular contact with APWLD and colleagues in the training to exchange lessons, experiences, practices and impacts that result from the training.
Cost of the Training and Sponsorship:
APWLD will cover the costs of discounted economy airfare; boarding and lodging during the training and the subsequent three days to participate in ASEAN People’s Forum (approx. 7 days in total), applicable visa fees and airport/travel taxes. Other additional travel related expenses must be informed by the participant to APWLD beforehand for approval.
Procedure:
All applicants MUST submit:
(i) Completed application form;
(ii) Updated Curriculum Vitae (not more than 2 pages long) and
(iii) Endorsement/Recommendation letter from their organization
The recommending organisation should certify that the applicant has worked in or aspire to involve in leadership roles and decision making positions within the organisation and is committed to applying the core learning points of the training in her future work.
To apply
- You can fill this online form [vfb id=11]
OR
- You can email these 3 documents to the attention of Ms. Suluck Fai Lamubol at fai@apwld.org with subject line as “Application for Women Leading, Women Organizing Training”
Application must be submitted by 2nd JUNE 2017, Friday
Incomplete applications will not be considered
(with either of incomplete/missing Application form, CV or endorsement letter)
Please note that only selected applicants will be contacted
—
- http://ilo.org/asia/areas/labour-migration/lang–en/index.htm
- ibid
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Testimonials from previous APWLD’s trade union training participants
“In this program we are able to gain a lot of knowledge and get more confident as a woman trade unionist. Excellent Workshop. Please do continue to support women in their challenges and obstacles.”
-Teresa Veronica Ali from Fiji Trades Union Congress
“Thank you APWLD for sponsoring and giving me such good opportunity to participate in this training. When women get together, we can make changes beyond one’s imagination.”
– Nithiyah Sinnathamby from ASEAN Services Employees Trade Union
“This training turned me to think deeply on the impact of globalization. This training gives strength to women leaders. This type of training is very needed to build a powerful women leadership.”
– Selladurai Lalithambigai from Women’s Centre (Sri Lanka)
