Gender equality

Stop violence and sexual harassment in the workplace

In addition to economic discrimination, such as the pay gap, women in the workplace worldwide face both physical and verbal forms of violence and psychological intimidation. These include suggestive comments, sexual assault and rape, as well as dismissal due to pregnancy or being offered a promotion in exchange for sexual favours.

CNV Internationaal advocates for better international regulations to promote gender equality in the workplace worldwide. We support trade unions in their efforts to improve the position of women and strengthen female leadership.

Index

What is happening?

Our impact

International standards

Resources

What is happening?

Gender and inclusivity

To combat inequality, it is important to work towards an inclusive organisation in which the workforce reflects society as a whole, with respect for each other’s unique backgrounds, customs, habits and needs.

To fulfil their responsibility to respect gender differences and promote inclusivity, it is important for companies worldwide to have policies in place on this issue to prevent or mitigate the risks of being implicated in negative impacts on gender and inclusivity.

Violence and sexual harassment in the workplace

Violence against women in the workplace remains one of the most distressing forms of human rights abuse in the field of labour. Women who suffer this violence are often reluctant to report it to the authorities, for example out of fear of reprisals. It is, after all, difficult to talk about it. Because what if the perpetrator is your boss?

Efforts to combat violence are often hampered by a lack of legal recourse. Investigations and prosecutions of such crimes are often neglected, and the few court cases that do take place proceed slowly. Victims of sexual violence at work often lack the knowledge and resources to bring a legal case.

Sometimes countries do have laws that victims of violence and harassment can rely on. In practice, however, these often fail to provide adequate protection.

Our impact

Strengthening female leadership

Trade unions play an important role, for example by promoting female leadership, negotiating better working conditions and providing practical support.

CNV Internationaal is also working to strengthen women’s leadership positions both within the trade union movement and in the workplace. This is because female role models are important for bringing about the cultural change that is also necessary to reduce violence in the workplace.

CNV Internationaal has developed special leadership programmes for women and young people to strengthen their position within the trade union movement.

Gender audit: measure equality within your organisation

Just how gender-friendly is your own organisation? Together with ILO C190 expert Jane Pillinger, CNV Internationaal has developed a tool that enables trade unions to assess how gender-friendly their own policies are.

The results of the tool can be used to draw up an improvement plan. The tool is still fairly new, but in various countries – including among our trade union partners in Mali – it is driving change within the trade union movement.

Agreement on combating violence and sexual harassment in the workplace

By 2024, it will have been five years since the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted a binding convention in June 2019: Convention 190. This convention sets out provisions for the protection of workers against violence and harassment in the workplace. Member states that ratify the convention must prohibit violence and harassment by law.

CNV Internationaal’s partner trade unions are actively campaigning for the swift, but above all, proper ratification of this convention in their countries. This is because, before ratification can take place, the necessary steps must be taken to amend legislation and regulations.

International guidelines on gender equality and protection

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)

VN Sustainable Development Goals

The UNDP Gender Equality Seal certification

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

This Declaration stipulates that everyone is entitled to all the rights set out in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind. This means that discrimination on the following grounds, amongst others, is prohibited:

Race
Colour
Sex
Language
Religion
Political or other opinion
National or social origin

Various aspects of gender equality are enshrined in a number of conventions of the tripartite UN labour organisation, the ILO, which have been ratified by many countries. The most important of these are:

1951 (No. 100) Convention concerning equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value
1958 (No. 111) Convention concerning equal opportunities and treatment in respect of employment and occupation

1981 (No. 156) Convention concerning workers with care responsibilities
2000 (No. 183) Convention concerning protection in connection with pregnancy
2019 (No. 190) Convention on violence and harassment in the workplace

The ILO has been working on the Decent Work Agenda since 1999. The Decent Work Agenda, which promotes decent or fair work, is now widely accepted as a key strategy for poverty reduction and development.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the UN are based on gender equality and the reduction of inequalities.

SDG 5: equal opportunities for men and women to participate in decision-making in politics, the economy and public life
SDG 8: promoting decent work for all and inclusive and sustainable economic growth
SDG 10: economic growth must be inclusive. In other words, everyone must be involved

The UNDP certification for gender equality includes standards designed to promote a more equitable work environment, bridge persistent gender gaps, and strengthen the position of women in the workplace, while also promoting productivity and competitiveness through social justice.

On December 18, 1979, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) requires states that have ratified the convention to ensure that their own laws are free of discrimination and to ensure that other parties (the business community, political parties, etc.) do not discriminate against women.