Ratify C190 for violence-free workplaces: speakers

On June 21, 2019, International Labour Conference (ILC) of International Labour Organisation (ILO), in its 108th session adopted the first-ever standards on the elimination of violence and harassment in the workplace — Violence and Harassment Convention (No. 190), and Recommendation (No. 206).

To eliminate gender-based violence including all incidents of violence and harassment in the sphere of work, it is important for Bangladesh to ratify ILO's new convention C190, said speakers at a webinar yesterday.

It is also important to have a clear understanding and analysis on the existing legal and policy provisions of Bangladesh to eliminate gender-based violence in the workplaces, they stressed.

The event, titled "Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work: ILO Convention C190 and its relevance for Bangladesh", was jointly organised by The Daily Star and Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector Programme (RMGP-II) of ILO, as part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of ILO Bangladesh said, "There is a very clear commitment and understanding by the UN system in Bangladesh that without addressing issues related to gender-based violence, as well as violence and harassment in the world of work, it is impossible to achieve the SDGs."

"There is simply no enabling environment to promote gender equality and to promote the economic development of Bangladesh," he said. 

Without women participating in the labour force, women's economic empowerment, along with a violence and harassment-free workplace, is not possible to achieve SDGs, Tuomo added.

Shammin Sultana, programme officer, Gender Mainstreaming, RMGPII, ILO Bangladesh cited a recent ILO/RMGPII study on 'Understanding the Gender Composition and Experience of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) Workers in Bangladesh', pointing out that women workers make up 60.5 percent of the RMG labour force; 97.1 percent of them are mostly employed in the low-paying jobs, and have very limited representation in managerial and leadership positions.

It also found that 61.7 percent of both women and men workers experience violence and harassment in the workplace, while only women workers report sexual harassment, she said. 

"It is important to raise awareness on workplace violence and harassment issues as well as ILO's Violence and Harassment Convention (C190) so that all relevant actors can be aware of this international instrument, take an active part in policy advocacy with the government to ratify the Convention C190 in Bangladesh," she said.

Aya Matsuura, gender specialist, ILO DWT for South Asia, presented the ILO convention 190, which recognises the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, and spoke on recommendation 206 in detail.

Prof Taslima Yasmin of Dhaka University's law department shared the findings of her study titled "Overview of Laws, Policies and Practices on Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the World of Work."

The study, commissioned by ILO/RMGPII, found that existing laws defining and criminalising sexual offences are inadequate, and also found a lack of provisions addressing sexual harassment.

It also identified some key gaps and recommended measures to be undertaken to eliminate gender-based violence in the workplaces of Bangladesh.

Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, said as Bangladesh is set to graduate [to middle-income country], it has to comply with a lot of specific guidelines, and ratifying the C190 would be an integral part of it.

"However, only ratification is not enough, as it has to be implemented at the organisational and social level," she said.

Individual organisations should have a stronger policies themselves; they have to practise that and it must ensured that the policies are being implemented properly, with a collaborative approach of both women and labour rights organisations, international bodies like ILO and the government, she said.

Humaira Aziz, director, Women and Girl's Empowerment Program, CARE Bangladesh;  Nazma Akter,  general secretary and executive director, Awaj Foundation; Mahjabeen Quader, senior advisor, Economic Affairs and CSR, Embassy of the Kingdoms of Netherlands; Kohinoor Mahmood, director, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies and Md Matiur Rahaman, deputy inspector general (Health), Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, among others spoke at the event, moderated by Shamshuddoza Sajen of The Daily Star.