Silva Villaverde re-elected president of the IUF Women's Committee
Silvia Villaverde, from the Pastry cooks and fast food restaurants workers union FATPCHPYA, Argentina was unanimously re-elected as president of the IUF Women's Committee for another five-year period at the 25th IUF Congress held in Geneva 19-22 March.
Silvia will lead the Women's Committee together with two vice presidents also elected by the Congress: Therese Hulthén from the Swedish Hotel & Restaurant Workers' Union, HRF, and Jenny Dowell from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, AMWU.
The IUF Executive Committee is now composed of 21 women and 30 men on titular seats. This means that women's representation has increased from 28% to 42%. In the Administrative Committee, women have 33% of the titular and 72% of the alternate seats.
Rules amendments were adopted by Congress to ensure that women and men will obtain equal representation in the IUF governing bodies by next Congress. The situation will be reviewed in 2009.