The Decisions for Life International Young Women's Conference took place in Amsterdam from May 9 - 11. Wage Indicator is one of the partners of the Decisions for Life project.

The International Young Women's Conference has drawn together young women workers, trade unionists and media workers from around the globe, and was dedicated to the memory of Tabisa Sigaba, a DFL campaign leader and full time shop steward from SACCAWU (South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union). Tabisa was tragically killed in a car accident last year, but before her death one of the proposals she made was for a global young women's conference. The event in Amsterdam was held in memory of her passionate commitment to the empowerment of young women workers.

The Decisions for Life International Young Women's Conference focussed on the successes of the DFL campaign, as well as identified challenges and looked at ways to move the campaign forward. Nearly 100 young women from eastern Europe, western Europe, southern Africa, India, Indonesia, China and the USA were represented at the conference.

The Declaration of the Decisions for Life Young Women’s Conference

9, 10 and 11 May 2011

We, participants at the 1st Decisions for Life Young Women Conference, demand that the ITUC and UNI, and their affiliates and the Wage Indicator, expand Decisions for Life to other country and fully supports, integrates and mainstream Decisions for Life methods by:

• Building a modern trade unionism which is inclusive for young women and includes a young women centred approach reflected in trade union policies, actions, structures and in the composition of its membership and leadership – at all levels.
• Helping to build spaces where young women feel safe to meet and talk and receive education which assists them to make decisions in life. As a result young women get empowered, become leaders and improve their lives at home, work , trade unions and in the society.
• Support the ongoing organising of young women.
• Providing to young women vital labour market  information about wages, salaries, law in national Wage Indicator websites plus in print, radio, television discussion, including trade union media resources and social networks. To encourage young women to use the WageIndicator instruments.
• Supporting the Decisions for Life Network of young women, from the local to the  international level - which will build and support coalitions of men and women to move forward the gender equality agenda: at work and at home. This will be achieved by  fighting and advocating for national laws and   its effective implementation, the ratification of ILO Convention 183, 156, supporting the adoption of an ILO Convention on domestic workers and by including clauses in collective bargaining agreements and alternative measures which aim at:
• More and decent jobs for young women , including precarious work
• Equal opportunities and rights
• Equal Pay
• Work – family balance, sharing of family responsibilities and more specifically: Maternity/ paternity protection and social protection
• To stop sexual harassment/ violence against women
• Support programs to prevent HIV/AIDS
• To support a Decisions for Life International Action Day on Young Women’s Rights and to take action on other international days such as 8 March.