The USW's global union partner, Unite, has made a conscious effort to build gender proportionality into every level of the union structure, from the national executive to local unions (called 'branches' in the UK).

Unite National Officer Cath Speight, who is the union's Acting Head of Equalities as well as Chair of Britain's Labour Party, says the leadership of Unite "recognizes that women workers in organizing campaigns need to see that a union for women is also a union of women."

Speight said Unite has a number of campaigns relevant to women, including equal pay, minimum wage legislation, flexible working and pension protection.

She says the new global union, 'Workers Uniting', "has to be a vehicle for women's voice in the trade union movement."