The Initiative has four main objectives: 

• Ensure members in the Asia-Pacific region understand the importance of c.190 and r.206 and are actively involved in campaigns for ratification.
• Promote the use the IUF agreements with Transnational Companies on sexual harassment by members in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Promote a safe and secure workplace for women as part of the fight for gender equality and hiring of more women in better jobs.
• Develop the capacity and commitment of unions defend women’s rights and gender equality in the face of automation and new technologies, ensuring that women have access to training and secure jobs. 

The IUF has global agreements with several transnational companies on preventing sexual harassment, including Unilever, Sodexo, Melia, AccorInvest and Arla Foods. The challenge is to develop the capacity of our members to prioritize and implement these agreements. Through education and training we  will incorporate this more fully into the agenda of union members in these companies, establishing the appropriate mechanisms and ensuring implementation. In other Transnational Companies we will use these examples to push to include sexual harassment in agreements at national or local level, which in turn creates a demand for these agreements at global level. 

Automation includes digitalization [computerization];  digital platforms; artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies and robotics. While automation leads to job losses, the biggest transformation is the change in how work is done, and the different skills needed. Due to existing discrimination and barriers to gender equality, many women are engaged in work designated as “unskilled”. This is partly a function of gender discrimination that undermines the value of work predominantly done by women. However, there is also work involving repetitive tasks viewed as “unskilled”. Initially automation is replacing repetitive tasks and reducing jobs, predominantly affecting women. The team is working with women leaders and members to better understand the impact of automation on women in the IUF sectors and to develop appropriate trade union strategies in response.