According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), violence and harassment may prevent women from entering the labor market, especially in male-dominated sectors and jobs, and remaining therein.

Director-General of the ILO Guy Ryder said in a recent statement, "Ending violence against women is about guaranteeing the basic rights of women and liberating us all from the ties of prejudice, misogyny and inequality. The path is clear, and the ILO will continue its work until the entire world of work is free from violence."

Last week Friday was Elimination of Violence Against Women's Day.

The ILO said in the statement that, "the situation is stark", adding that it is carrying out research "to deepen the understanding of why women are disproportionately affected by violence and harassment at work and what it takes to prevent and protect them against it".

The statement points out that governments, employers and workers are preparing for new international labor standards on violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work, with a first discussion scheduled at the International Labor Conference in June 2018

 

At an ILO meeting in October, worker, employer and government experts met to discuss a report titled "Violence against Women and Men in the World of Work".The experts observed that workers, in particular women workers, "are at risk when they are expected to provide sexual services or endure harassment in exchange for getting a job or promotion, in order to keep a job or in order to access their wages".

"Women are disproportionately represented in low-wage jobs, especially in the lower tiers of the supply chains, and are too often subject to discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace violence and harassment," the statement noted.

Based on the report the experts concluded that, "Violence and harassment cannot be considered "part of the job", neither for women nor for men."

Xian Smith, Guardian Business Reporter

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