Women and Globalisation trary, means the world-wide standardisation of i nterests: on behalf of the companies, the em­ployees and women. In this respect, the discus­sion on globalisation is an opportunity to ana­lyse the individual interests of women regard­ing their internationality. Brazil Germany South Africa Brazilian women see their country as a unity without any regional or his­toric-political peculiarities. The popu­lation, and women, are migrating from the rural to the urban areas, to the booming region around São Paulo. German trade union women are versed in local history. Part of general edu­cation is the knowledge about and pride in local traditions. Globalisation is not(yet) embedded in local aware­ness. In the minds of the South African women there is a political map, marked by the struggle against apartheid. They travel along the escape routes of for­mer dissidents, past the locations of the apartheid government's torture cham­bers and of the massacres committed against the black population. Their map is not gender but race-specific. That women's biographies and interests bear analogies, even coincide, world-wide, is a long accepted fact. In the face of globalisation, it is necessary to maintain a permanent exchange on the respective concerns and to continuously de­fine own, global women's issues. Whereas com­panies are acting globally, employed women still lack the institutionalisation of this global network. Apart from the setting-up of such a network, it is vital to describe its contents. This includes the world-wide exchange of informa­tion on effective forms of action and on alli­ances among workers, as well as the mutual support of national action. Women, trade unions and globalisation How much decision-making power do women retain in a globalised context? Besides deter­mining common interests and establishing soli­darity on a global level, it is crucial to establish effective channels of influence. The trade unions are such a channel. The significance of trade unions in women's everyday life' ) Brazil Germany South Africa All participating Brazilian union women are members of the umbrella organi­sation CUT =) . More than 20% of trade union members are women. In the services sector(education, health) women account for 34% of union members, in the rural workers' union for 18%. Represented are ÖTV' ) (45,9% women°), HBV' ) (66,5% women), DGB 6) (30,5% women) and IG Metall' ) (19,4% women). There are complaints about the trade union strategy, trying to con­ceal the decline in membership by merging to large trade unions. Women fear that especially their concerns and gender-specific areas of action will be dropped in this process. Trade unions should represent women and marginal jobs to a larger extent, they have to showsolidarity with women's con­terns. The necessity of an autonomous women's trade union is discussed. Represented are the largest trade union confederation COSATU(Congress of South African Trade Unions), founded in 1985, with about 1.8 Mio. members from 19 affiliated trade unions(1999), NACTU,(National Council of Trade Unions), founded in 1986, merger of 22 individual unions with 220,000 members(1998) and FEDUSA(Fed­eration of Unions of South Africa) with 555,500 members(1999). In to­tal, 248 registered trade unions with 3.4 Mio. members, and 54 unregistered unions with 260,000 members existed in 1997. 17