Young Workers as Actors of Change

“The YCW is, by definition, a mass organization considering its aim, composition and methods. It wants to influence and conquer the masses, change the lives of the masses, re-convert the heart of the masses to Christianity, and meet the needs of the masses.”

Every year the International YCW promotes the celebration of the International Week of Young Workers (IWYW) from April 24th to May 1st. During that week young workers in different countries claim their rights and denounce the oppressing realities of youth through training activities and other events.

During the celebration of the 2011 International Week of Young Workers, the IYCW wants to motivate action and strengthen our international campaign for social protection, the right to decent work, the right to quality education, and the right to a society with gender equality.

How is Your YCW National Movement Going to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the International Women’s Day this Year?

What is the International Women's Day?

On International Women's Day, women around the world join together in celebration of the intelligence, strength, courage and beauty of women. Since 1910 this has been a day to celebrate the achievements of women across the globe without regard for their national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political differences.

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on the 8th of March every year. It is a major day for the global celebration of women. In different regions across the globe the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebrations of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration of women's economic, political and social achievements.

What is the background of the International Women's Day?

Begun as a socialist political event, the holiday, even in its origins, blended the cultures of many countries, primarily in Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In time, in some regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations remained strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide continued to be identified and examined in a spirit of hope and determination. The story of its development in many countries helps to explain the current situation.

In Germany, the first IWD was observed on 19 March 1911, following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The idea developed amid rapid industrialisation and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions.

At the same time in Denmark, in 1910, the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen in the labour-movement building located at Jagtvej 69. An 'International Women's Day' was established. The suggestion came from Clara Zetkin, the significant German socialist and fighter for women rights. In the following year, 1911, over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, recognised International Women’s Day on 19th March.

The Women’s Movement focussed on the triple issues of worker safety, women’s rights, and world peace. These resulted from the situations of the time. On 25th March 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers, and a lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. At the same time, women’s rights continued to be debated in Europe by women suffragettes. Then, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8th March 1913. In Russia, demonstrations marking International Women's Day proved to be one of the touchstones for the Russian Revolution of 1917.

It is interesting to note that western countries were slower to formally recognise the International Women’s Day. In the West, IWD was first observed in the 1970s.

We are very proud at YCW that the International Women’s Day is an important and significant part of our commitment and involvement. Every year, the IYCW and our national movements celebrate this International Women's Day through a range of activities and actions.

Last year national movements and the IYCW organised diverse activities to celebrate and promote our International Gender Equality campaign. There were seminars, public meetings, rallies, street dramas, retreats and other functions.

In 2011, the IYCW will continue to promote the theme of equal, sustainable and quality jobs for women – jobs that will guarantee the equality between men and women, as well as the sustainability of work and its quality. All of these are essential, we believe, to promote the dignity of the young men and women workers at all levels across society.

This 100th celebration of the International Women’s Day is significant for all of us as young workers and is crucial, we believe, for YCW movements across the world. It is an impetus to us, both to celebrate our achievements and to continue to fight for our rights.

We would like to encourage all national movements to organise specific and targeted activities in the national movements and to exchange ideas and activities with other movements and with the International Secretariat. This will support and act as an impetus for all of us.

The fastest way to change society is to mobilise the women of the world.

Charles Malik (Lebanese philosopher and diplomat)

On April 26, the IYCW organized a debate on the social protection campaign carried out by the movement. Friends of the movement, former YCW members and current activists took part in the debate, including representatives of several social organizations such as migrant workers organizations in Belgium (the Association of Ecuadoreans living in Belgium (ASERB), the Organization for international development), as well as representatives of the European YCW coordination, the Walloon YCW, the Christian Worker Movement (WSM/Social alert), and a Venezuela YCW activist who was participating in an exchange in Belgium with the Walloon YCW and the CSC (Christian trade union).

Among the inputs, we could listen to Bart Verstraeten, coordinator of Social Alert – one of WSM’s Belgian organizations taking action on the issue of social protection. He told us about the concept of social protection and actions carried out by the Belgian Christian Worker Movement and other social organizations such as the European working group for social protection. Bart provided us with valuable information on the actions developed to extend social security to more workers and to include this issue in the political agenda of different bodies and institutions.

He placed the accent on the actors involved in the debate and the actions to ensure social protection, focusing on four main actors: the state, society, private companies, and social movements. The state is one of the major actors as an organizer of the system, its form of financing and mechanisms to improve the living and working conditions of the population.  

The IYCW celebrated the International Women's Day on 6th March 2010 in Brussels. The IYCW International Secretariat, together with the Walloon YCW, the European YCW and the German YCW participated in a march organized in the streets of Brussels with network organisations. Around 5,000 women and men took part in this festive and militant march calling for justice, equality, peace and solidarity.

YCW members were carrying dummies of young workers in this march and handed out the demands of the movement in the streets, as well as the IYCW Women's Day statement.