By: Bente Gyp Wilhelmsen, AOF-Norway and Anne Stringberg, ABF-Sweden

The Euro-WEA AGM held in Seville in 1997 set up a Women’s Platform to initiate educational activities for women. We looked at the relevance of the existing IFWEA International Study Circle (ISC) project for women’s education, and followed closely the evaluation of the ISC Pilot Programme. The overall aim of responding to globalisation is of direct concern to women workers, yet the majority of participants in the ISC pilot programme were male.

Globalisation affects women workers differently to men, and requires an understanding of their particular experiences, problems and needs. For example, globalisation has entrenched women’s vulnerable position in the global labour market with the majority of women workers occupying low-wage, low-skill, part-time or contract, non-unionised positions. In addition, running study circles internationally with the use of technology is a challenging educational approach. However, there is a gender imbalance in those accessing the Internet generally. So there is a need for education on globalisation which specifically targets women workers.

The focus of the women’s ISC will be on the globalisation of the food industry. A large proportion of the workforce in the global food industry are women. They are involved in planting, harvesting, processing, buying, preparing and serving the food we eat. Increasingly, the food industry is dominated by large transnational corporations which have impacted dramatically on people’s working lives and food quality, safety and sustainability. Globalisation in the industry therefore must be understood in terms of its particular effects on women as workers and consumers. This should then inform how trade unions respond.

With these ideas, the Women’s Platform and ABF in Sweden invited several IFWEA affiliates to a seminar in Skøvde, Sweden in May 1998 to discuss the project further. Women participants from Bulgaria, Estonia, Philippines, South Africa, Finland, Nicaragua, Sweden and Norway developed a programme relevant to all the participating countries. There was also close consultation with the education officer of the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF).

The discussions during the seminar confirmed the need for a programme of this nature. We exchanged a lot of information regarding the impact of food globalisation exploring the similarities and differences between countries. There were many common problems which require an international response from workers.

We are now fundraising for this programme, which we intend to begin with a facilitator’s seminar in January 1999. In the meantime, we will be collecting suitable education materials, identifying participants and facilitators, and establishing further direct links with the IUF and its affiliates. If the fundraising drive is successful, additional IFWEA affiliates will then be recruited as participants.

The seminar report can be obtained from the IFWEA Secretariat in Oslo, Norway.