Promoting Equality at Work in China

The project will enable the ILO to work with government and civil society organizations in China to promote non-discrimination and equality in employment opportunity and treatment, through capacity building activities and sharing of knowledge and good practice. The project builds on the experience and lessons learned by the ILO in carrying technical cooperation activities targeting various groups for equality promotion in the country, including the most recent project to support and promote the application of Convention No. 111.

Background

Equality and non-discrimination figure prominently among ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work, along with freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labour, and the elimination of child labour. Remarkable progress has been seen in China in recent years in tackling discrimination in employment. China’s legal framework on non-discrimination and equality in employment continues to improve. The Government’s ratification of the ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) in 2006 has boosted the inclusion of equality principles in labour, employment and industrial relations legislation.

The project builds on the earlier achievements of ILO work with the government and the social partners to promote equality at work. The project will go beyond the tripartite constituents to reach out more widely to civil society organizations to build their capacity with regard to non-discrimination and equality promotion. The project will use tools and methodologies developed through ILO’s earlier work, such as the training manual on Convention No. 111 and the online knowledge/resource platform, to reach a wider target group and fill some of the gaps identified, including the need for wider coverage of training on Convention No. 111 and related international labour standards, and for Chinese examples of good practice.

The project is financially supported by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia through the Australia Agency for International Development.

Project objective

The aim of the project is to promote the application of international standards and implementation of national laws on non-discrimination and equality at work in China, toward achieving equal employment opportunity and treatment for all workers.

Project outcomes

Outcome 1: Civil society organizations and labour inspectorates are better prepared to promote equality at the workplace.

Outputs:

  • Participants from civil society organizations are trained on definitions, strategies and requirements of non-discrimination covered in ILO Convention No. 111 and related international labour standards as well as national and local labour legislation; and
  • Labour officials and labour inspectors are trained on definitions, strategies and requirements of non-discrimination covered in international and national law and have acquired practical tools to actively promote equality at work through labour administration.

Outcome 2: Knowledge and best practices on non-discrimination and equality promotion are shared and replicated.

Outputs:

  • A sustainable mechanism is strengthened which will facilitate information exchange and knowledge sharing on non-discrimination; and
  • A stock of Chinese case studies and good practices on equality promotion in employment is developed and disseminated.

Project activities

  • Conduct training for civil society organizations on non-discrimination and equality at work;
  • Conduct seminar on promotion of equality in employment in labour inspection regulations and practice;
  • Regularly update the on-line resource platform on equality at work and produce the Equality at Work in China newsletter; and
  • Collect and analyse Chinese good practices on equality promotion by various stakeholders such as government, employers, trade unions and other social partners.

For further information please contact:

Ms Zhang Hongman
National Project Manager
ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia
Tel: +86 10 6532 5091