A parallel event during the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Date: Wednesday 13 March; Time: 8:30 am- 10:15 am by Zoom
Organizer: NGO Coalition to end violence and harassment in the world of work
Context:
Violence and harassment in the world of work have long been a major impediment to maximising women’s productivity and income-earning capacity, setting back their ability to lift themselves out of poverty. ILO Convention I90 and its accompanying recommendation 206, adopted in 2019, establish global standards that recognize the right of all workers, both in the formal and informal sectors, to a safe and decent work environment based on dignity and respect. At the heart of the C-190 is the insistence that a world of work free from violence and harassment must be both a right and an obligation. It sets forth a common framework to prevent, remedy and eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment. To date 36 countries have ratified (status of ratification) the Convention.
But ratification alone is not enough. It must be followed by full implementation of the C-190 and its accompanying Recommendation 206, supported by allocation of adequate financial, and institutional resources. A recent report from the ILO shared that one in five people has experienced violence and harassment in the world of work, particularly affecting young people, migrant workers, and wage-earning salaried women. It also pointed out that occupational and safety measures are key to preventing violence and harassment in the world of work. However, such measures as well as national legislation to address violence and harassment in the workplace, while they can address the challenges in the formal workspace, may not encompass all workers such as informal sector workers, contract workers, interns, and migrant workers to name a few. ILO C-190 can address these gaps, as it covers every worker regardless of their nationality, gender, sector, or status.
The NGO Coalition to End Violence and Harassment in the World of Work is organising this session to share progress being made on the ratification and implementation process and to generate momentum and advocacy on the ground to advance ratification. The session will bring together governments, the private sector, trade unions, and NGOs to share best practices of implementation efforts and explore strategies to promote universal ratification of ILO C-190, as part of a broader push that goes beyond job creation to the provision of safe, violence-free environments with decent jobs for all (SDG 5, SDG 8).
This side event aims to continue to build on the recommendations for action from the Multi- stakeholder Interactive Dialogue and strategy session organised by The NGO Coalition on September 8, 2021, as well as its advocacy letter endorsed by 1155 civil society organisations and submitted to UN Member States. (The Outcomes Documents of the 8 September 2021 event can be accessed at the following links: Strategy Document, and the Advocacy Letter).
The format of the session will be panel presentations (50 minutes) followed by interactive discussions (40 minutes) and responses from speakers’ recommendations for action to take forward (15 minutes).
Speakers to comprise representatives will be selected from the following:
● Mr. Rakesh Patry, Director General, International and Intergovernmental Labour Affairs, Employment and Social Development Canada
● Ms. R Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
● Hon. Neema Lugangira, Member of Parliament of Tanzania
● Ms. Valentina Beghini, Legal Specialist on Violence, Harassment and Non-Discrimination, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ILO
● Ms. Roya Garayeva, Vice-Chair of the ITUC-Women’s Committee and representative of ITUC affiliate AHIK in Azerbaijan
● Ms. Seema Zahid, Head of APWA, Punjab, Pakistan
Moderator: Ms. Anita Thomas, Convener, NGO Coalition to End Violence and Harassment in the
World of Work; Chair, NGO Committee on Financing for Development; Representative to the UN,
Women First International Fund
Respondents: Civil society organizations
Note: The NGO Coalition to End Violence and Harassment in the World of Work is an initiative of four substantive committees of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) which have come together in a Campaign to ensure ratification and implementation of ILO C-190: the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NY), the NGO Committee on Social Development, and the NGO Committee on Migration, in partnership with the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons.