Gender

• National Gender Co- Ordinator
  • Patricia Nyman
• National Office Bearers Designate
  • Mduduzi Mbongwe – Dg Sectretary
  • Angie Phethle – 1st Deputy President
• National Gender Office Bearers
  • Emelia Maphakela – Chairperson
  • Thomas Radebe – Deputy Chairperson
  • Virginia Nonyane – Secretary
  • Pauline Timothy – Treasurer
• National Administrator
  • Boitumelo Mauco

The Department is guided by the SACCAWU Gender Policy which draws together all SACCAWU resolutions, policy decisions and document into a comprehensive document. The Policy enshrines the vision of a society free from all forms oppression and exploitation based on class, sex, gender and race, in our struggle for socialism. We have a vision of SACCAWU as a home for all women workers.
The overall strategic approach of SACCAWU to advance gender equality is a multifaceted approach guided by the empowerment and leadership of women firstly and gender mainstreaming through:

• Building Women Leadership, Representation and activism from shopfloor/workplace to National level
• Creating a Gender Sensitive Environment in the Union that encourage and facilitate Women leadership , Representation, Activism and Gender Mainstreaming.
• Eliminating the Gender Division of Labour in the Union.
• Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Union
• Organizing Women workers in particular young women workers
• Building Gender Equality in the Workplace through key Campaigns leading to improvements in Wages and Working Conditions with reference to women and gender. Key campaigns are:
  Parental Rights, Childcare facilities, Eliminating Sexual Harassment, Equal Pay for Equal Work and Work of Equal Value, Health and Safety, HIV and Aids, Safe Transport when Working; extended/flexible Hours, Employment Equity Plans/Agreements, LGBTIQ discrimination and building and empowering the participation and Representation of women in Negotiations Teams.
• Promoting Gender Equality in Society through solidarity with workers in vulnerable positions such as Domestic and Sex Workers. Participating in broader socio-economic struggles to improve the living conditions and quality of life of all working class women, by ensuring that political, socio-economic policies and legalization are gender biased and sensitive; addressing Human Trafficking , Xenophobia and Climate Change
• Eliminating Gender Based Violence, Femicide and against Children in the World of Work and in Society.
• Building the Women’s Movement
• Building International Solidarity

• Local Gender Committees – once per month
• Regional Gender Committees – twice per year
• National Gender Committee – twice per month
• National Gender Conference – every three years
• Company Based Gender Co-ordinators and structures from shopfloor/ workplace to National level that drives the Union programmes though organizing and building activism of women members and  meetings as determined by the Constitution – Clauses 8 to 9.

• The Department works closely with the Education, OCCBU, International, Legal and Administration Departments as Gender Equality is a crosscutting issue.