Views, events, and debates

Abstract

In this issue's Organisation Profile, we are featuring the KARAT Coalition. KARAT works in a region that has seen huge political and economic changes over the last 25 years, something which is reflected in the focus of the work undertaken by the Coalition in order to best promote and protect women's rights in this area of the world. With the use of social protection programmes becoming more and more common, here Maxine Molyneux argues that worldwide efforts to tackle gender and poverty would be more effective if women themselves can play a role in evaluating them. Why are women so under-represented in trade union leadership? Here, Claire Courteille, of the International Trade Union Confederation, considers the absence of women at the top, and why it is so important that they take their place in positions of leadership. The UN's Commission on the Status of Women meets annually in New York to discuss progress, or otherwise, on women's rights, globally, focusing on a particular topic each year. Tensions between different governments, and between governments and civil society organisations, can run high. Here, Daniela Rosche reports on this year's highly-charged CSW.