This year was the biggest WIMDOI we’ve ever had!
From May 7th to 9th in Cairns, 250 women from over 30 Unions across Australia and New Zealand gathered together to attend the biannual Women In Male Dominated Occupations and Industries (WIMDOl) Conference. And the ETU had one of its biggest delegations.
ETU women, along with their fellow WIMDOI union members also partook in May Day celebrations, and it was great to celebrate and show solidarity with Queensland comrades. This year WIMDOI participants led the May Day March in Cairns standing shoulder to shoulder, with union pride on full display.
ETU Women were also front and centre with at the WIMDOI conference with brilliant presentations from ETU leaders Raven and Mel – sharing their experiences as women working in our trades and what needs to change to get more women into our trades and how that change can be made.
The WIMDOl Conference was created over 25 years ago and the Conference and WIMDOI Collective continues to empower women in the workplace to come together and gain skills in campaigning and union representation.
The ETU was represented by over 25 union women with ETU participants joining from every branch across the country. Members engaged in important and meaningful discussions, plenary sessions and workshops – sharing stories and developing campaign strategies to continue to improve the experience for women in male dominated industries and to get more women working in male dominates industries.
The WIMDOI Conference provides an educational opportunity for women to discuss past and present campaigns and share union wins as well as an opportunity to build relationships and networks to continue to build the strength of working women and to make change for us all, for the better.
Well done to all the ETU women who participated this year.
Bring on an even bigger WIMDOI in 2026!