Women Workers Summit 2009

On December 10th 2009 in Bangkok, the Committee for Asian Women launched its one-year celebration of 100 years of International Women’s Day (IWD 100) and called for year-long events that pay tribute to women workers struggles all over the world. December 10th was also marked as international day of action for domestic workers by the International Domestic Workers Network.
Nearly three hundred women workers from twenty countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe participated in the Women Workers Summit 2009 including CAW network groups and Thai women workers groups such as Homenet Thailand, Women’s Foundation, Foundation for Child Development, Friends of Women, Thai Labour Campaign, Solidarity Group, Triumph Workers Union, Metropolitan Trade Union and Migrant Karen Trade Union.
Participants dressed in purple hats and pink aprons held a parade around the Huaykwang market in Bangkok while chanting slogans and demands of domestic workers for equal rights and protection. At the public gathering the double events were carried out through speeches by CAW Executive Coordinator Lucia Victor Jayaseelan and ILO representative Ms Elsa Ramos. A statement of the participants of the Women Workers Summit was read by Ms. Jurgette Honculada for the IWD 100 while the statement of support for domestic workers was read by Somjit Kornburi from the Thai DW network. Both statements were presented to the Thai Commission on Human Rights, Thai Labour Ministry, and ILO who sent their representatives to accept and respond to the statements.
Professor Dr. Amara Phongsapit, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and Mr. Anantachai Uthaipattanacheep, Director of the legal department of the Ministry of Labour both gave speeches prior to accepting the statements and supported the call for protection of migrant and local domestic workers.
The foundation for Child Development presented a drama illustrating the desperate daily lives of domestic workers and the violation of their rights as workers.
Women workers from Hong Kong, Indonesia and India presented solidarity numbers honouring IWD100. The launch ceremony was successfully closed by singing the Workers’ Solidarity song in different languages, by all the participants, stressing their solidarity across cultures and borders.