Losses of jobs were not the only predicament employees faced from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has allowed for many dilemmas: one being, the increase of violence and harassment in the work place. As such, The International Labour Organization (ILO) will be launching a global campaign to promote ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, which takes place on the 21-25 June 2021 during the ILO Action Week on Convention.

Violence and harassment at work takes a range of forms and leads to physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm. This will be the first international treaty on violence and harassment in the world of work. It will recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment and will provide a common framework for action. It will provide the first international definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, inclusive of gender-based violence and harassment.

To mark its entering into force, the ILO will launch a global campaign to promote its ratification and implementation. The campaign aims to explain in simple terms what the Convention is, the issues it covers and how it seeks to address violence and harassment in the world of work.

The speakers will include the ILO Director-General, Ministers of Labour from Argentina and Madagascar, and representatives of the International Organization of Employers (IOE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Following the Action Week, the ILO will launch a guide aimed at helping constituents and other stakeholders promote and implement the Convention and Recommendation. The guide covers core principles and measures that countries can take to prevent, address and eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work, including examples of national laws, regulations and policies.