Séminaire « The Politics of Social Welfare and Women Activists in the Debates and Agenda of the WFTU, 1970s – 1980s » (Olga Gnydiuk)

Ce séminaire se déroule intégralement en ligne et en anglais. Chaque séance propose une présentation d’un travail de recherche en cours et la discussion collective d’un article.

L’article proposé pour cette séance est le suivant : Eileen Borris, « Equality’s Cold War: The ilo and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, 1946–1970s », in Eileen Boris, Dorothea Hoehtker, Susan Zimmerman (ed.), Women’s ILO. Transnational Networks, Global Labour Standards, and Gender Equity, 1919 to Present, Brill, Leiden, 2018, p. 97 — 120.

Olga Gnydiuk

Postdoctorante en histoire et études de genre, Projet ZARAH, Central European University

The Politics of Social Welfare and Women Activists in the Debates and Agenda of the WFTU, 1970s – 1980s

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) repeatedly emphasized that addressing the needs and concerns of women workers was a fundamental task of trade unions, particularly in light of the mass entry of women—many of them mothers with young children—into paid employment. This paper focuses on discussions surrounding the protection and support of working mothers during the International Women’s Year (1975) and following it the United Nations’ Decade for Women (1975–1985), examining the demands, agendas, and contributions of Eastern European women activists connected with the WFTU. The analysis explores the contexts and issues that fostered collaboration with representatives from other countries, with particular attention to the dynamics of Cold War politics and ideological competition. It highlights how the social policies and measures supporting working women in state socialist countries shaped the WFTU’s global policy proposals during the 1970s and 1980s. By situating these developments within the broader landscape of gendered labour policies promoted by international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and various UN commissions and agencies, the paper shows the complex dimensions of Eastern European women’s international activism. Specifically, it examines the dynamics of relationships and the formation of transnational networks, which paved the way for the development of women-oriented social policies.

La discussion sera assurée par Pierre Alayrac, maître de conférences en science politique à l’Université Paris VIII Vincennes — Saint-Denis.

Organisation

Pierre Alayrac (Université Paris 8), Simon Godard (Sciences Po Grenoble-UGA), Tobias Rupprecht (Freie Universität Berlin)