The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has issued a call to governments worldwide to advance gender equality, promoting social justice, democracy and peace, while eliminating all forms of gender-based discrimination, extremism, and violence.

The global confederation made the call in a statement on International Women’s Day 2025.

The ITUC urged governments to uphold workers’ rights as human rights, particularly by adhering to International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.

This included ensuring the right to freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike.

Furthermore, the ITUC called for universal access to gender-transformative social protection and high-quality public services.

To ensure decent work for women, the ITUC emphasised the need for investments in national employment policies, worker-led formalisation, public care systems, and the regulation of the digital economy.

The organisation also advocated for equal pay for equal work through the introduction of minimum living wages, pay equity, pay transparency, and stronger anti-discrimination laws.

The ITUC stressed the importance of eradicating gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace by advocating for the ratification and full implementation of ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206.

With the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) this year, the ITUC highlighted that, despite being adopted as the global blueprint for gender equality and women’s human rights, the promises made under the BPfA remain unfulfilled for millions of women across the world.

Adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the BPfA outlined a global agenda for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, recognising women’s rights as inherent human rights.