Geneva, Switzerland, 11 June 2026 – The Chair of the SP KEP SPSI Women’s Committee (CEMWU), Ira Laila Budiman, delivered the views and aspirations of Indonesian women workers during the IndustriALL Women’s Committee meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland. The international forum brought together women trade union leaders from around the world to discuss strengthening women’s leadership and advancing gender equality within the global trade union movement.
In her address, Ira Laila Budiman emphasized that stronger trade unions cannot be achieved without increasing women’s participation and leadership at every level of union structures.
“We need more women involved in trade union leadership because decisions are made by those who sit at the table. When women are absent from leadership structures, the interests and needs of women workers are often overlooked,” Ira stated.
Representing the voices of Indonesian women workers, Ira presented three concrete demands to trade unions worldwide.
First, she called for women’s representation at all levels of trade union structures, from the workplace level to the national level, and for this commitment to be embedded in union constitutions. According to Ira, women must be given greater opportunities to serve as union officers, executive committee members, negotiators, organizers, educators, and leaders.
Second, she urged unions to allocate dedicated budgets for women’s programs. While many organizations have gender policies and commitments on paper, Ira noted that women’s activities often depend on external funding and occasional support, making them unsustainable. She stressed that every union should provide a dedicated budget for education, leadership development, organizing, campaigns, mentoring, research, and initiatives aimed at preventing gender-based violence.
Third, she highlighted the importance of establishing and strengthening women’s committees as strategic bodies within trade unions. According to Ira, women’s committees play a vital role in creating opportunities for participation, developing leadership skills, identifying workplace challenges, and formulating bargaining demands that reflect the realities faced by women workers.
Ira further emphasized that women’s committees should play a central role in strengthening collective bargaining agreements by promoting provisions related to equal opportunities and non-discrimination, equal pay for work of equal value, maternity protection and parental leave, protection against gender-based violence and harassment, occupational safety and health, and work-life balance.
“These issues are not women’s issues alone. They are collective bargaining issues and must be part of every trade union’s agenda,” she said.
Concluding her speech, Ira Laila Budiman called on all IndustriALL affiliates to continue strengthening solidarity and expanding opportunities for women’s leadership within the labour movement.
“If we want stronger unions, we need stronger women’s participation. If we want better collective bargaining agreements, we need women at the negotiating table,” she affirmed, receiving strong support from participants.
Ira Laila Budiman’s participation in the IndustriALL Women’s Committee demonstrates SP KEP SPSI’s commitment to advancing gender equality, strengthening women’s leadership, and bringing the voices of Indonesian women workers to the global stage.
Solidarity Forever!
