The event will be held at the UNITE District Office, 44 King Street,
Aberdeen AB24 5TJ on Friday 7th March from 12.30pm until 2.30pm.There will be light refreshments (halal food is available) from 12.30pm until 1.00pm.
Guest speakers are Karolin Hijazi from Aberdeen Palestine Solidarity Committee and Unite Activist Sheila Kettles who was the Scottish delegate on an UNITE/TSSA delegation of Trade Unionists who visited Palestine in January 2013.
This event will be Chaired by Elaine Dougall, Unite’s Regional Women and Equalities Officer.
Tommy Campbell, UNITE official and ATUC delegate said, "The speakers will all speak about the significance of celebrating International Women's Day and in particular the role of Women in the Trade Unions and also in the wider Peoples' Organisations in their campaigns for Peace and Justice both here in Scotland and particularly Palestine and throughout the rest of world.
"There will also be an opportunity to Skype with Lehee Rothschild, an Israeli activist who will talk about her experience of being an Israeli woman who very actively supports the Palestinian resistance."
Following the talks there will be a question and answer session. The event is sponsored by UNITE Aberdeen Area Activists Committee, the Aberdeen Morning Star readers and supporters group, Aberdeen Trades Union Council and its affiliated Unions and so is open to all Trade Union members and their friends to attend this International Women's Day event.
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.
International Women's Day started in 1911 and is about celebrating the political, social and economic gains of women. Many have risked and do risk violence and imprisonment fighting for the rights of their fellow workers and justice for all. In Massachusetts young women mill workers won a dispute for fair pay and dignity at work exactly 100 years ago. In the UK, the Match girls in 1888, the Chainmakers in 1910 and the Ford Dagenham workers in 1968 all won disputes for fair and equal pay and dignity at work, the latter now having been immortalised in the film “ Made in Dagenham “ a few years ago.
Please let us know by Wednesday 5th March 2014 if you are attending by contacting Jane Gore at UNITE on 01224 645271 or jane.gore@unitetheunion.org so that we have some idea of numbers attending when we order the food for this important event.