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Mobilising, organising and lobbying is critical to build and ensure governments’ support for an ILO Convention and a Recommendation at the ILO Conference in June 2018.
Ottawa (14 Feb. 2018)— From February 14 to March 8, Public Services International (PSI) is running a campaign called 23 days of action to STOP gender-based violence (GBV) at work!
Violence is not part of the job
While both women and men experience violence and harassment in the world of work, unequal status and power relations in society and at work often result in women being far more exposed to violence and harassment. Violence against women creates inequality, affecting the well-being of current and future generations. Violence and the threat of it deprives women of their basic human rights.
There is currently no internationally agreed-upon law that deals with the many different forms of gender-based violence in the workplace!
An ILO Convention and Recommendation would send a strong message that violence is NOT part of the job. It would help to give workers a voice to stand up against gender-based violence, and negotiate collective agreements that address GBV.
Organizing to create an ILO Convention on violence against women
Ending violence against women is a top-priority for PSI. Trade union leaders, specifically male participants, at PSI's Congress in November, pledged to end violence against women by including actively supporting campaigns against gender violence and to bring about gender equality in the home, workplace, community, economy and all institutions, including the union. It is not too late to sign the pledge!
PSI fully supports the International Trade Union Confederation campaign for this new international labour standard and invites all affiliated unions to join the campaign. Mobilizing, organising and lobbying are critical to build and ensure governments’ support for an ILO Convention and a Recommendation at the ILO Conference in June 2018.
Call to action!
The call to action starts today, February 14, known as “V-Day” (a global activist movement, led by One Billion Rising, to end violence against women and girls), and runs until March 8, International Women’s Day. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is encouraging its members and others to join the One Billion Rising in Solidarity to End the Exploitation of Women.
Tweet your support by using hashtags #RiseInsolidarity and #rise4revolution, in addition to #VDay and #1BillionRising.
People can download examples of Twitter and Facebook messages to use — more tools are available on the 23 days of action webpage including infographics, logos and a GBV fact sheet.