Hind Ben Ammar to the participants in the Conference of the Social Democratic Alliance in the Arab World:
“Democracy is indivisible, and trade union freedoms are a fundamental criterion for assessing the soundness of democratic practice.”

The city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq is hosting, on the 28th and 29th of this month, the proceedings of the Global Conference of the Arab Social Democratic Alliance, with the participation of representatives of international bodies and organizations within the social democratic family.

Sister Hind Ben Ammar contributed to the conference through an intervention in which she stressed that any transitional path towards democracy in Arab countries remains incomplete unless it encompasses the workplace as a fundamental space for exercising rights and freedoms. Democracy is not merely electoral mechanisms or political reforms; it is also the guarantee of workers’ rights to trade union organization, collective bargaining, and genuine participation in shaping economic and social decision-making. From this standpoint, the Arab trade union movement affirms that workers’ demands constitute an indispensable pillar in building genuine democracy that entrenches social justice and places the working person at the heart of development.

In response to a question about the Arab Trade Union Confederation’s vision regarding the role of working women in strengthening the foundations of democracy, she said:
“At the Arab Trade Union Confederation, we affirm that true democracy in the workplace cannot be achieved without ensuring gender justice and the equal participation of women. Despite the pioneering roles played by Arab women in democratic movements and popular liberation struggles, women still face discriminatory laws, violence, high unemployment, and the necessity of working in the informal economy, which deprives them of social protection. This, of course, is a dilemma that undermines democratic practice.”

Regarding the efforts of the Arab Trade Union Confederation to strengthen democratic practice in workplaces and communities, she added:
“We are working to promote the International Trade Union Confederation’s campaign ‘Democracy in the Workplace.’ It is a campaign with demands directed at all governments to comprehensively reform discriminatory legislation, ratify ILO Convention No. 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, as well as Convention No. 111 on discrimination in employment and occupation, Convention No. 100 on equal remuneration, and Convention No. 183 on maternity protection. It also calls for gender mainstreaming in public statistics and budgets in order to enhance women workers’ rights and place gender justice at the core of national legislation and policies.”

The conference concludes today, August 29, with the announcement of a set of recommendations aimed at networking the efforts of the social democratic family around the world to confront the alliance of populist currents, capital, and the extreme right, and the resulting unjust anti-social policies.