'ILO Convention 190 crucial to preventing gender-based violence at work'

Employers must integrate the International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s Convention 190 (C190) in their workplace policies to prevent gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said labour activists.

Measures to respond to the pandemic and provide emergency relief must address and prevent GBVH in the world of work, including the underlying issues of discrimination and poor working conditions that make so many workers vulnerable.

C190 reflects the changing ways that work is performed by covering not just the worksite, but all GBVH linked to work, including work-related communications, and the commute to and from work.

Adopted in June 2019, C190 is the first treaty that recognizes the fundamental right to a world of work free from violence and harassment.

This is particularly relevant as the pandemic has changed work locations and setups, and workers report increased harassment online and increased sexual violence in public spaces like transport systems.

C190 recognizes how work is structured, by protecting workers normally excluded from labor protections, including workers in non-standard work arrangements, in export processing zones and in the informal economy.

Workers in these precarious jobs have been disproportionately impacted by layoffs during the pandemic, and most do not qualify for unemployment benefits and emergency relief measures, making them particularly susceptible to pressure for sexual favors and other degrading treatment in order to keep their job.

Ratifying C190 would ensure that the most vulnerable workers are protected.

For too long women and men’s human rights have been violated in the workplace, and this convention will help create the legal and policy structure needed in Bangladesh to help workers fight back against this terrible form of injustice, said Nazma Akter, president of Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF) and founder of Awaj Foundation, in a press release.

Many unions and worker organizations around the world are pushing for gender equality, equal pay, and an end to gender-based violence and harassment, not just in the RMG sector, but in all sectors, she also said.

In 2009, the High Court declared a judgement to address sexual harassment at the workplace and educational institutions in both public and private sectors. 

The judgement highlights actions including establishment of an anti-harassment committee. It also calls for employers and authorities in charge of educational institutions to take preventive measures by raising awareness on sexual harassment.