IMPRESSION Nepal has organized a youth and women's gathering at GEFONT Regular Trade Union School Anamnagar on December 10.

The gathering has formed 9 members Youth committee under the presidency of Sujan Maharjan and 7 members women committee under the presidency of Shabi Serchan.

The gathering program was held with the chief guest GEFONT women's committee President and GEFONT's vice president Sita lama and GEFONT Deputy secretary General Kamala Tamang, Secretary of Publicity and Publication department Mahendra Lal Shrestha, GEFONT Youth committee President Biki Shrestha have participated as a guest.



Different types of programs are being conducted to increase the participation of youth and women in the union saying that chief guest lama added there is the vital role of women and youth in the organization is important.

The gathering program was presided over by Impression President Bal Gopal Thapa, GEFONT Secretary Mahendralal Shrestha, Youth committee president Biki Shrestha addressed the program while the program was conducted by Secretary-General Suraj Adhikari and Vice president Kripa Karki made welcome remarks.
 

The General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) National Women's committee organized a workshop on the code of conduct of GEFONT in the context of Gender violence 2079  in all seven provinces was concluded on 3 December 2022.

The program was held at GEFONT Trade Union School Anamnagar under the presidency of GEFONT Women's Committee President Sita Lama while Chief Guest was GEFONT President Binod Shrestha with the "Let's unite the initiatives against women's violence".

GEFONT President says" GEFONT is conducting a campaign against gender violence by creating a code of conduct for gender equality and organized a workshop in all seven provinces with reference to the global campaign against gender violence."


With the passage of time, the formation of violence has also begun to change saying that "not only the victim but also the afflicted gets knowledge about violence, the violence will be reduced."

Similarly, President Shrestha said that according to the election results, there is no possibility of forming a stable government and if the coalition government is formed, there is a possibility that there will be a greater impact on the Nepali labour market, and he has also urged all the working people to be aware.
 

The workshop was conducted by the Women's committee Secretary Bijaya Khadka and Vice Presidents Bidur Karki, Sita Lama and Secretary General Laxman Sharma informed about the policies and programs of GEFONT.
Similarly, a workshop on the code of conduct organised by the GEFONT women's committee concludes in Province 1 Biratnagar, Madhesh Province Simara, Bagmati Province Hetauda, Gandaki Province Pokhara, Lumbini province Butwal, Karnali Province Surkhet and Sudur Pachhim Province.



In the program attended by the GEFONT National Committee, representatives from  GEFONT Affiliated Union present suggestions about the problems in the home, family, society, workplace and union and say, "Violence against women through the abuse of social media is the biggest challenge at present and other issues that need to be reduced in the Code of Conduct, measures to effectively implement the Code of Conduct, the worker selection process for women's leadership development and In order to fulfil the organizational responsibilities in the position according to the provisions of the law."

The 8th National Women Workers’ Conference was held in Kathmandu by the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). The conference, which drew over 200 women and men representatives from all over the country, elected a 17-member GEFONT Central Women’s Committee under the chairmanship of Sita Lama.

Bishnu Rimal, GEFONT Patron, and CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary addressed as the conference’s chief guest and stated that GEFONT’s campaign to promote women’s participation in the trade union movement has pulled off great achievement.
 

He said that the slogan of the eighth women’s conference, “our participation, our representation, let’s remember, understand, and move forward” is very relevant, and the goal was set to increase women’s membership by 5% at each general convention as there was zero representation of women in the leadership when the women’s committee was formed, and with that initiatives, significant progress has been made to this day.

He expressed his opinion by saying that the first head of GEFONT’s women’s department is now the president, and many GEFONT women leaders have been elected to the central parliament, province assemblies, and local level, and that women leaders working in GEFONT are not only rhetorical but also capable.

Rimal highlighted GEFONT’s previous activities with importance to understanding the status quo and achievement by evaluating and adding “we must move forward with a strategy for greater success in the future days”.



At the conference GEFONT President, Binod Shrestha agreed that GEFONT should always increase the representation of women, and that number of women workers in GEFONT and the union should be increased as well. He also noted that GEFONT is the first organization in Nepal that constituted a 33 percent female representation and that around 40% of women are currently represented on the GEFONT National Committee.


Likewise, Bina Shrestha, formal Vice-President of GEFONT and Central Member of CPN-UML, peter-Vice president of Guma Acharya Swedish Painters Union, Laetitia Baldan-  International head of ACVBLIR  and Usha Kiran Bhandari- President of Madan Bhandari Foundation, all wished success to the conference.



Former chairpersons of GEFONT women’s committee Swasti Bajracharya, Honorable President Bidhya Bhandari, Bina Shrestha, and Guma Acharya were honored in the program, which was headed by Mina Gurung, GEFONT Women’s Committee Chairperson.


 

General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), President Binod Shrestha has said that Nepal's major parties have forgotten the working class.  “In the inclusive quota, the possibility of rich businessman winning political party election is advancing, which does not foster the principle of inclusion," said President. Citing the example of rich people being elected in the inclusive quota at the Nepali Congress Convention, Shrestha opined that there is a drastic shortfall in workers'  representation.
 

Addressing the Bagmati State Level Women’s gathering organized by GEFONT, President said that GEFONT has always been adamant about increasing women’s representation. Upon agreeing on the women representation of  51 percent in every structure of GEFONT, he stated that increasing the number of women members in the union is necessary. He further said that GEFONT institutionalized 33 percent female representation in the organization for the first time in Nepal and that was later guaranteed in the constitution of Nepal and women currently makeup 40% of the GEFONT National Committee, indicating that GEFONT has ensured a strong representation of women rather than rhetorical engagement.

He said, “GEFONT needs to be well-represented in all the three areas of service, production and informal, for that regular training would play a crucial role”. “With the development of self-employment sector becoming a large sector in recent times and women are increasingly involved in it, it is vital to integrate them in Trade Union Movement ”.
 
According to GEFONT General Secretary Janak Chaudhary, the conference was organized to discuss the changes in the workplace and how such changes impacted employment relations owing to the shifting backdrop of the labor market.

The thematic discussion was held by forming two groups. The group which was facilitated by GEFONT Vice-President Bidur Karki and GEFONT Bagmati State President Ram Hari Nepal expressed that it is imperative to register the informal sector workers and involve them in Social Security Programs.

As observed by participants, exploitation of labor supplier firms has increased in some factories and establishments, workers have been unable to distinguish between labor suppliers and primary employers, and workers have been unable to receive wages commensurate with the job they performed.
 

Furthermore, the participants said that despite receiving equal pay for similar work, women are pushed to work longer hours causing physical suffering. Likewise, the participants further discussed the achievements and problems faced by health volunteers and individuals working in the field of self-employment, and micro-enterprises as a result of  COVID-19.

According to the General Secretary Chaudhary, such meetings will be held in other provinces to notify GEFONT’s members about the overall labor law and GEFONT's ongoing activity, as well as to identify regional problems at the local level for solution. About 50 representatives of various GEFONT affiliated unions attended the meeting.

Kathmandu: GEFONT and ANWA Jointly Celebrated the 111th International working  Women's on 8th March in Bharatpur, Chitwan. The program was chaired by Cde. Saraswati Bista, President of All Nepal Women's Association, Chitwan and Cde. Hari Sapkota Central committee  Member of CPN- UML, & Chitwan District In-Charge addressed the program as a chief guest.

On the occasion, GEFONT, Bagmati Province  President Cde. Ram Hari Nepal thanked ANWA for raising the issue of Social Security  to support the trade unions and endorse it as theme of International working  Women's Day. He recalled that the country had entered a new era by launching  contribution-based social security for woking class  and this has done by the KP Oli-led government. Explaining the role of trade unions and workers, Cde. Nepal appeal to join the trade unions and participate in the contribution-based social security scheme as there are working women within the ANWA also. 

On behalf of GEFONT, Cde.  Anju Guru, Central Committee Secretary of NABUN and member of GEFONT, Bagmati Province Women's Committee welcomed the participants.