IT’S International Women’s Day — and while it’s always a moment to celebrate the incredible work of women in our movement, our workplaces, and our communities, it’s also a chance to get real about how much further we’ve got to go.

Because here in Wales, and across the UK, too many women are still getting short-changed. Literally. Pay inequality? Still rife. Women in Wales are still earning less than men in comparable jobs, and the gap only gets wider for black, Asian and ethnic minority women, disabled women and older women. It’s 2025, and we’re still waiting for action to close the gender pay gap once and for all.

TUC analysis shows a gender pay gap of 13.1 per cent, meaning the average woman works nearly seven weeks for free every year compared to the average man. And the figures are even worse if you’re an older woman, disabled, a carer, or from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action for Gender Equality — and nowhere is that more urgent than on pay. But if we’re serious about tackling poverty, we need to talk about more than wages.

Without affordable, flexible childcare, too many women are locked out of work altogether, pushed into low-paid, part-time jobs, or forced to scale back their hours just to make life work. Add insecure work, sexual harassment, discrimination and a lack of voice in the workplace into the mix, and it’s no wonder women are still being held back.

And if you really want to see the scale of the problem? Look at social care. The backbone of our care system is made up of women — especially black, Asian and ethnic minority women — working long hours for low pay, often on insecure contracts, delivering the vital care our society simply can’t function without. And while they hold it all together, private companies are creaming off profits from a system that should be about people, not shareholders.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We need a big, bold wave of insourcing. Bring social care back into public hands. Pay care workers properly. Give them secure contracts and the respect they deserve.

And while we’re at it, let’s tackle the insecure work that traps so many women in low pay. Teaching assistants are a perfect example — vital to our schools yet often treated as an afterthought. Throw in dodgy agency contracts with barely any terms and conditions, and it is clear why workers have had enough.

The reality is that black women are nearly three times more likely to be on precarious contracts than white men. We need to end zero-hours contracts, raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour, and reverse the real-terms cuts to public-sector pay. These aren’t just nice ideas — they’re basic steps towards building a fairer, more equal Wales.

And the good news? Change is possible. Through the Employment Rights Bill, we can secure these improvements within the next four years. In the meantime, we’re already seeing the difference union organising is making.

In Wales, our women activists are leading the charge. Through TUC Cymru’s activist development programmes and the Wales Union Learning Fund, women are gaining skills, building confidence, and standing up for themselves and their colleagues. They’re winning better conditions and creating happier, healthier workplaces. And they’re changing the landscape of our movement in the process.

Trade unions play a vital role in women’s lives. Yes, we fight for better pay and conditions, but we’re also behind so many of those victories that don’t always make the headlines — like the brilliant work Sarah Owen MP has led to secure paid leave for parents experiencing baby loss.

And of course, women’s experiences at work aren’t just about pay packets. We can’t ignore the urgent need to make sure women are safe. Sexual harassment is still far too common across workplaces in Wales. Too often, women are left to put up with it or keep quiet because they don’t trust the system to protect them.

That’s why TUC Cymru is fighting to make sure employers are taking proper steps to prevent harassment before it happens — not just brushing it under the carpet afterwards. We know harassment thrives where workplaces don’t have strong unions and unchecked power structures. That’s why we’re building union power, making sure every worker has a voice, and every employer is held to account.

And while we’re focused on winning change, we’re not naive about the threats ahead. Parties like Reform are hoping to make gains in the next Senedd elections. But let’s be honest — they don’t stand for working people. Their anti-worker, anti-equality, divide-and-conquer nonsense belongs in the bin. We won’t let them turn us against each other or roll back the rights we’ve fought tooth and nail to win.

So, this International Women’s Day, let’s do what we do best. Let’s get organised. Let’s stand together. And let’s keep building a fairer Wales — with equality at its heart, powered by workers, and rooted in solidarity.

As we look towards the 2026 Senedd election, women in Wales will rightly expect commitments that deliver real change to their working lives and living standards.

And to the women in our movement who’ve got us this far — who keep organising, negotiating and standing up for future generations — we see you. We thank you. And we know the fight is not over yet. But with your strength and determination, the future’s ours to win.

Shavanah Taj is general secretary of Wales TUC.