GENEVA – On 8 February 2013, the Government of Ecuador deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156). Ecuador is the 43rd ILO member State and the 10th Member State in Latin America to ratify this instrument, the latest ratification from the region dating from 2007. The Convention aims to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment of men and women workers with family responsibilities, as well as between workers with family responsibilities and those without such responsibilities. By ratifying Convention No. 156, Ecuador adds an essential instrument to its list of ratified ILO Conventions aimed at promoting gender equality in the world of work.
In transmitting the instrument of ratification, H.E. Gallegos Chiriboga, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in Geneva, stated: "Ecuador’s ratification of Convention No. 156 is part of the broad actions taken by the Ecuadorian Government in order to implement and strengthen the rights of workers in the country. The provisions of the Convention will complement those of the Constitution and other national regulations in support of the welfare of the Ecuadorian workers. The ratification of Convention No. 156 confirms the great commitment by Ecuador regarding the international labour instruments adopted by the ILO."
In receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 156 by Ecuador, the Director-General, Mr Guy Ryder, stated: “When adopting international labour standards regarding workers with family responsibilities, the ILO considers that achieving full gender equality requires policies to better enable men and women workers with family responsibilities to prepare for, enter and advance in employment. Supporting workers with family responsibilities is an important strategy within the Decent Work Agenda to achieve gender equality in the world of work. Ecuador’s ratification of Convention No. 156 sends a renewed message in support of the special needs and problems that workers with family responsibilities face. Ecuador thereby joins the global effort to achieve equality between men and women in the world of work and to ensure that workers with family responsibilities have the right to work in a discrimination-free environment”.
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