Bolgatanga, Sept. 9, GNA- The Upper East Regional chapter of the Young Urban Women’s Movement (UWM), an affiliate of ActionAid Ghana has called for the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world.
Convention 190 (C190) and Recommendation 206 (R206) were the first international legal standards that specifically recognized the right of everyone to a world of work, free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.
Ms Dorcas Zoogah, the Regional Chairperson of the UWM in a petition presented to Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, said it was intended to urge Government of Ghana to take steps to ratify the ILO C190.
She said “The Convention defines broadly the term violence and harassment, which include physical, verbal abuse, and psychosocial risks and abusive work practices.”
She noted that the Convention protected all workers in the formal and informal economy, including volunteers, trainees, apprentices, and sets out clearly the role of governments and social partners in preventing violence and harassment.
The Chairperson also said the Convention also offered protection against third party violence, harassment, and protection against the impacts of domestic violence in the world of work.
According to her, a research conducted by ActionAid Ghana in 2018, and focused on young urban women in the formal sector, indicated that 44 percent of urban women suffered “repeated sexually oriented behaviour such as touching, rubbing or groping.”
Ms Zoogah said 49 percent according to the research, were sexually abused in the world of work while 44 percent had been harassed more than once.
“We have observed an alarming surge in cases of domestic violence worldwide due to the effect of confinement measures. C190 and R206 set out clear steps that governments and the social partners should take to mitigate the impacts of domestic violence, including violence perpetuated against individuals who work at home.”
The Regional Minister in his response, said “We have accepted your petition, we are going to make sure the petition gets to the Presidency, and I know that the listening government and the President will do due diligence to the petition.”
Mr Yakubu entreated women in the Region to report various forms of harassments to the appropriate quarters for action to be taken against perpetrators, “If you do not report, the problem will be there. Don’t aid or support it.”
Mr Alhassan Sulemana, the Upper East Regional Programmes Manager of ActionAid Ghana, said the advocacy was a nationwide exercise, “We have taken the lead, the other Regions will follow.”
He said the exercise was intended to offer them enough voices to push for their course to have the C190 and R206 implemented. “Ever though we know government is listening, there are times we need to remind government.”
He thanked the Regional Minister for his words of assurance to have the petition forwarded to the Presidency, adding that there would be subsequent follow-ups to ensure that the petition was delivered.
