GENEVA (ILO News) - Top female athletes in boxing, track and field and tennis today urged women around the world to take their struggle for social justice to new heights, as the International Labour Office (ILO) marked International Women's Day here and globally with events focussing on women in sports and the world of work.
"The punches that I land shake my adversaries as well as the foundations of our society", said Myriam Lamare, the World Boxing Association's current light welterweight champion from Marseille in an address to a woman's day event here. "A woman who can box is a woman who can fight - at once capable of giving life and of defending it, in the true sense of the word."
"I am strong and feminine, vulnerable and active", she said, adding, "Women are no longer handicapped by their vulnerability."
Ms. Nawal El Moutawakel, the first female gold medallist from Morocco and a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which also participated in the event here, said sports could provide the environment that women needed to excel.
"I ate and drank and breathed my sport and my trainers taught me to believe in myself", she said of the training that won her the gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles in the 1984 Olympics. "I was inspired and learned determination and discipline. Sports allow you to get to know yourself."
Argentine tennis star Gabriela Sabatini, who received the IOC's "Women and Sport" trophy for 2006 at a ceremony here, said in an interview, "Economically you need support and many times companies will follow men more than women and that's a disadvantage. I think we are getting a little better, but we are still a little behind in some countries."
In a statement issued to mark the day, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, "There is no doubt that women continue to transform the workplaces of the world - a critical arena for the advancement of women in society. Over the past decade, the number of working women has increased by 200 million. Today, women represent more than 40 per cent of working people worldwide. Women are also continuing to make inroads in the world of professional sports."
"Despite the advances, glaring inequalities persist in workplaces throughout the world", Mr. Somavia's statement said. "The pay gap is still a reality. The 'jobs gap' between men and women - especially in terms of quality - remains wide. We estimate that women represent 60 per cent of the world's working poor."
The IOC presented its annual "Women in Sport" awards here to leading international sports personalities. The winners were recognized for their significant contributions to the development of women's sports in their countries. In addition to Ms. Sabatini, who was honoured for her work to promote and develop tennis in her country among youngsters, and particularly girls, also receiving women and sport awards from the IOC were Albertine Barbosa Andrade of Senegal, Charmaine Crooks of Canada, Elisa Lee of the Republic of Korea, Dominique Petit of France and Lorraine Mar of Fiji.
The ILO chose to focus on women in sports to draw attention to gender inequalities and barriers that exist across all professions, including sports. In professional sports, for instance, women earn far less money than men, with the rationale that women's sports do not attract the audiences or draw an equal level of media coverage, advertising revenue or endorsements. The presence and recognition of women in leadership and decision-making positions of sports organizations is still hampered by "glass-ceiling" effects, social and cultural barriers, lack of female candidatures but also lack of a supportive environment, the ILO said.
Global ILO Events
In Europe, the ILO participated in a discussion by the Russian State Duma (Parliament) Committee on Women, Family and Children in Moscow on a draft law on the State Guarantees of Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in the Russian Federation. In Lisbon, the ILO joined other national entities in signing a Declaration on women and equality.
In Asia, the ILO office in New Delhi hosted a discussion on "Women as Change Agents - Emerging Out Crisis Situations" presided over by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment. During the discussion, women from the region shared their experiences of emerging from crisis situations of different kinds. A rock concert, co-hosted by the ILO and other UN agencies, also took place. Marches, through rural and tsunami-affected areas, were organized to raise awareness of the minimum wage and other labour laws for workers in the informal economy. Women form a large number of the workers in this sector.
In Tokyo, the ILO and other UN agencies organized a public forum on "Women in Decision-Making" featuring distinguished speakers from the region. In Banda Aceh, the ILO announced the winners of the Best Women Entrepreneurs of Aceh Awards who were honoured for founding or owning businesses. In Manila, the ILO and national sports institutions sponsored a sports demonstrations, lectures and 5 km and 10 km races. Seminars and book launches also took place in Bangkok and Colombo.
In Washington D.C., the ILO co-sponsored a round-table discussion with several other UN agencies and a number of key speakers. The ILO office for Arab States organized a series of activities on women migrant domestic workers as well as breaking the glass ceiling, and providing a guide for trade unions and employers on promoting gender equality in the region. In Africa, events ranged from seminars on women and decision-making to women entrepreneurs and the working conditions of women on the continent.
For more information about International Women's Day events please visit the special web page on International Women's Day at www.ilo.org/communication or contact the ILO Department of Communication and Public Information at +4122/799-7912/7353 or e-mail communication@ilo.org.