| YCW's Statement for International Women's Day, 8th March, 2009 |
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| Written by Secrétariat International | ||||
| Thursday, 05 March 2009 | ||||
Young Women Workers - the first to feel the effects of the economic crisisGlobally we are talking about the economic crisis. Many workers are losing their jobs every day. In many workplaces, the first workers to lose their jobs are women. A YCW member and young factory worker, “Subashini” from Sri Lanka, says, “There are 7000 workers in our factory. 98% of the workers are young women. Last month there was an unannounced meeting called by the factory management. The management explained their difficulties in paying the workers salaries. To fix the situation, they forced us to sign a blank piece of paper. We did not know what they took our signatures for. If we didn’t sign the blank piece of paper, they said we couldn't work at the factory anymore. Out of fear, we all signed the blank piece of paper. "One week after signing the blank paper, the factory gave all workers 1 month leave from work. "To this day, we really do not know what is going on. What will happen after our holidays? There were some comments made about our salary. "All my family is depending on my income. Like me, 90% of women working in the factory come from our village. Many other young women workers and their families are facing the same struggle" It is a common belief in Sri Lanka that women are easier to manage in the workplace than men as they are often too afraid to defend their work rights. Because of this fear instilled in women, employers can easily manipulate or sack women workers. Society, culture and religion pressure women into being silent. There is a proverb in Sri Lanka, “Silence enhances a woman’s beauty”. Many young women workers are facing the same reality as Subashini. They are struggling to fulfill their basic needs, finance loans, or find new jobs, and are forced to sell personal items to fund basic necessities. Women are placed in situations where they will do anything to find income for basic needs for food and shelter. This is not only happening in Sri Lanka. It is a global crisis. Newly elected International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) President; Geethani Peries faced the same situation as “Subashini”. "I was a silent, shy garment factory worker when I joined the YCW. Through my involvement in YCW, I gained courage and strength to become a prominent Sri Lankan and Asia Pacific female leader. I felt empowered to take action to change the situation of women workers in Sri Lanka, the Asia Pacific and now, the world. " As the first female International President from the Asia Pacific region, Geethani has become a role model for other young women workers. The IYCW has begun the implementation of its International Plan of Action for Gender Equality. The campaign focuses on addressing the issue of discrimination, injustice and inhumanity against young women, with an objective of gender equality in the home, workplace and decision making bodies. The IYCW is taking actions locally, nationally and internationally to eliminate unfavorable conditions for women. On this important day, the IYCW reaffirms its commitment to ensure gender equality as an integral part of a just and humane society. Information on the IYCW's campaigns can be found at www.jociycw.net or by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  Quote this article on your site | Views: 2590
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