Elsa Ramos-Carbone is the director of the Equality and Youth Department of the International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions, the worldwide representative of free labor organizations, where she is secretary of the women's committee. Ramos-Carbone serves
on the advisory board of RESPECT, a European project for organizing migrant women domestic workers. A trade union educator, she has
conducted and developed course modules on various gender issues such as maternity protections.
Ramos-Carbone poses and answers a question at the heart of her speech:"Who produces in the 21st century? Women, of
course! It is therefore a wonder that women today do not enjoy full rights, let alone power over reproduction or, for that matter,
production," despite struggles for gender equality, women's rights, and women's empowerment. Although it is significant that the
principle of gender equality now exists, "words have not been accompanied by action." In fact, there seems to have been a backlash, and
some of the positive trends in reproductive health have regressed. This is especially true for women who are poor, immigrant, or of
color. Despite the influx of women into the labor market, equality still does not exist.
Women make up nearly fifty percent of the labor force, but much of their work is unpaid and is undervalued. Furthermore,
aspects of globalization are having negative effects on women. Unfortunately, the growth in jobs available to women is more impressive
than improvement in the quality of those jobs. Women are concentrated in poorly paying and insecure jobs. "Gender discrimination is
evident throughout the world in access to resources, educational opportunities, and political voice and power," says Ramos-Carbone. Women
earn less money and face more health risks in the workplace. Ramos-Carbone believes in solidarity and international sanctions to
overcome these problems.
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