End All Forms of Violence At All Workplaces

25 November 2021 from 2:00 PM (UTC+7)

Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development, Asia Floor Wage Alliance, and International Migrants Alliance Asia Pacific are co-organising an online protest “Ratify C190: End All Forms of Violence At All Workplaces” on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Workers Run The World

Women workers from all over the world are keeping the world running everyday in addition to working non-stop during the COVID-19 crisis. Women workers, including essential workers, workers in informal sectors, agricultural workers, home-based workers, freelancers, unpaid homemaker and caregivers, migrant women, and women human rights defenders, they all work tirelessly – sometimes underpaid or without pay to ensure the environment that we live in is a safe, comfortable, and prosperous. 

However, the women workers of today are also facing severe threats of gender-based violence and harassment. One-third of women worldwide (nearly 1 billion women) have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime[1]. In Asia and the Pacific, sexual harassment and violence against women workers also come with alarming numbers – UNFPA reports that 47.3 percent of women workers in Nauru, 18.5 percent of women workers in Indonesia and 14 percent of women workers in Mangolia experienced sexual violence perpetrated by non-partners, including co-workers and supervisors[2]. 67.8 percent of women in Tonga, 27.8 percent of women in Bangladesh have experienced physical violence by non-partners. Even though the numbers are shockingly high, the official numbers are always under-reported and hardly reflect the bleak realities of what women workers are experiencing. Social stigma and shame, distrust of institutions, fear of retaliation by the perpetrator, lack of awareness and access to justice are the structural barriers that keep victims/survivors from seeking help and lodging reports.

In addition, COVID-19 related lockdown and restriction measures have triggered a shadow pandemic of gender-based violence[3]. Violence and harassment in the workplace, domestic setting, streets, as well as public and online spaces has been intensified since the pandemic. Restricted movement, social isolation, and economic insecurity are increasing women’s vulnerability to violence around the world. For instance, migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong faced a wave of sexual assaults and physical abuse – including beatings, groping, rape, long work hours, and sleep deprivation[4]. APWLD’s Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) also documented that home-based workers in Pakistan were abused by the subcontractors or the job providers. Nurses in public hospitals in Thailand and garment women workers in Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar and the Philippines reported that sexual harassment is part of their precarious work environment.

In June 2019, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the first international treaty to address violence and harassment in the world of work – Convention No. 190 (C190), and it came into force on 25 June 2021. ILO C190 recognises the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, and all sectors are covered, including private and public, both in the formal and informal economy, and regardless of the contract status or migration status. However, the commitment from the member states is still weak and only six countries[5] have ratified the convention since its adoption. 

As the year 2021 is the first year of the implementation of ILO C190, it is a crucial time for civil societies, trade unions, feminists, activists, women workers and migrants to come together to fight for a world free of all forms of violence. In a continuation of the May Day Solidarity Protest, APWLD and allies are organising another online protest with women from 30+ organisations across Asia and the Pacific demanding their governments to ratify and implement C190 and Recommendation 206 to end all forms of violence at all workplaces.

 

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The protest is a 3 hour online event where women from 30+ organisations around Asia and the Pacific will share speeches, solidarity messages, and chants demanding an end to gender-based violence in workplaces and calling on the governments to ratify C190.

Programme and Speakers

Welcome and Opening

Shiela, International Migrants Alliance Asia Pacific [Moderator]

  • Abiramy S, Asia Floor Wage Alliance – Advancing gender justice in Asian garment supply chain during COVID-19: Learning from ILO C190
  • Sringatin, IMA Asia Pacific
  • Wardarina, APWLD – Building cross movement solidarity to push for ratification of C190 and address SGBV

Workplace Behind The Door

Anusha, Women’s Centre, Sri Lanka [Moderator]

  • Ume Laila Azhar, Homenet Pakistan, Pakistan – Impact of COVID-19 on home-based women workers
  • Sujata Mody, Penn Tholilalar Sangam, India
  • Sekh Rumana, BOMSA, Bangladesh – Condition of Bangladeshi women migrant domestic workers in Middle East
  • Rowshon Ara, Naripokkho, Bangladesh – The perspective of women workers in the RMG sector on GBV
  • Losana Tuiraviravi, Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Fiji – Role of feminist and women’s rights organisations to advance ILO C190

Workplace Is Everywhere

Anusha, Women’s Centre, Sri Lanka [Moderator]

  • Jennifer Oliver, Teresa Women Organisation at PAG-IRIBANG BICOLNON, South Korea – Undocumented women factory worker in South Korea
  • Suthasinee Koewlaklai, Labour Right Foundation, Thailand – Situation of Burmese women migrants in Thailand
  • Nazma Akter, AWAJ Foundation, Bangladesh – Update on the advocacy of C190 in the Bangladesh parliament
  • Devy Christa Dyanti, Kabar Bumi, Indonesia – Impact of women migrants sentenced to death
  • Joanna Concepcion, Migrante International, Philippines – Migrants on death row as an extreme form of violence

Rural And Agricultural Workers

Ashley, Asia Floor Wage Alliance [Moderator]

  • Khurshida Ibragimova, Center for Social and Legal Support of Women and Children “Mehrzhon”, Uzbekistan – GBV faced by rural women in Uzbekistan and call for ratification of C190
  • Eliza, Women Support Center, Kyrgyzstan – Gender based violence situation in Kyrgyzstan
  • Kartika, Progress, Indonesia – Palm oil plantation workers and climate

Intersectionality

Ashley, Asia Floor Wage Alliance [Moderator]

  • Ramsha, Sindh Community Foundation, Pakistan – Women cotton pickers fighting climate change and labour rights abuse
  • Tami Alvarez, Sabokahan, Philippines – Indigenous peoples’ / Lumad’s resistance in Philippines
  • Shanti, Society for Rural Education and Development, India – Struggles of women Dalits on gender-based violence and harassment and the actions/resistance of communities
  • Matcha, Sangsan Anakot Yaowachon, Thailand – Resistance and demands of LGBTIQ+ movement to build a violence free world

Labour

  • Thivya Rakini, Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union, India – Justice For Jeyasre Campaign
  • Dian Septi, Federation of Indonesian Labour Unions, Indonesia
  • Von Samphous, Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association, Cambodia – Street vendors in Cambodia
  • Kamz Deligente, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Philippines – Resistance of women workers dealing with gender based violence during pandemic

Labour Rights Defenders and WHRDs

  • Swastika Arulingam, Commercial & Industrial Workers’ Union, Sri Lanka – Union busting in Sri Lanka during COVID-19
  • Mylene Cabalona, BPO Industry Employees Network, Philippines – Union busting and red-tagging against women workers in Philippines
  • Daw Myo Myo Aye, Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar, Burma/Myanmar – Women labour rights defenders against military coup
  • Cristina Palabay, Tanggol Bayyi, Philippines
  • Hser Hser, Women’s League of Burma, Burma/Myanmar

Language interpretation available in Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Bangla, Thai, Burmese, and Russian. Register here to join us 25 November 2021 at 2:00 PM (UTC+7) for Online Protest: Ratify C190! You can also catch live stream of the event on Facebook.

[1] UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women (2021). Ending Violence against Women and Children in Asia and the Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges for Collaborative and Integrative Approaches.

[2] UNFPA (2020) Violence Against Women – Regional Snapshot https://asiapacific.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/knowvawdata_regional_vaw_map_july_29_2020_final.pdf

[3] UNICEF (2021) Responding to the shadow pandemic: Taking stock of gender-based violence risks and responses during COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/media/76916/file/Gender-Based-Violence-in-Emergencies-CP-Learning-Brief-Aug-2020.pdf

[4] HKFP (2021) Hong Kong domestic workers faced wave of sex attacks and physical abuse during pandemic lockdown Retrieved from https://hongkongfp.com/2021/06/29/hong-kong-domestic-workers-faced-wave-of-sex-attacks-and-physical-abuse-during-pandemic-lockdown/

[5] At the time of writing, six countries have ratified the Convention – Argentina, Ecuador, Fiji, Namibia, Somalia and Uruguay. Fiji is the only country in the Asia and the Pacific region to ratify C190