COVID-19: Protecting Workers in the workplace
Better protecting women workers during COVID-19 pandemic
Women are one of the groups being hit the hardest by the pandemic. They also face a double burden of work and domestic responsibilities. The pandemic also make them more vulnerable to violence at work.
The ILO participated at the online interactive discussion conducted by the National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Council (DK3N) to promote the latest ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190/2019 and its accompanying Recommendation No. 206/2019. These international labour standards recognize the threat of violence and harassment in the world of work to equal opportunities and decent work.
“This Convention is even more relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic as working women are one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Working women are also at a greater risk as many of them are frontliners, acting among others as doctors, nurses and health supports,” said Lusiani Julia, ILO’s programme officer who also acts as a gender focal point of ILO Jakarta Office.
Lusiani presented the key principals of ILO Convention No. 19 and its link to the better OSH protection, particularly for women workers, during the discussion held at the end of May. Titled “OSH Protection for Women Workers and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace”, it was viewed by more than 300 viewers and was part of the regular talkshow of DK3N to raise public awareness about issues related to OSH.
The interactive talkshow also presented two other resource persons: Hindun Anisah, Special Adviser to the Minister of Manpower and Hanifa M. Denny, an academia from the University of Diponegoro. Hindun shared the plan of the Ministry of Manpower to issue new regulations aimed to protect women workers, particularly those who work as frontliners at the health sector; while Hanifa revealed her research findings on onion farmers about violence and harassment at the workplace.
In addition to the frontliners, women have become more vulnerable to violence, particularly domestic violence, which is on the rise in many countries during the pandemic. The ILO’s brief on gender equality and COVID-19, issued in May, highlighted that “in the current circumstances, teleworking may be associated with an increased exposure of workers, mainly women, to domestic violence. Financial pressure, anxiety about the future and disconnection from support networks also have the potential to exacerbate any underlying factors.”
Therefore, according to Lusi, in the the COVID-19 context, OSH measures explicitly aimed at preventing and reducing psychosocial risks, including violence and harassment, take on heightened significance. “OSH measures should be further strengthened to prevent and reduce psychosocial risks, including violence and harassment, and promote workers’ mental health and well-being.”
This Violence and Harassment Convention is even more relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic as working women are one of the hardest hit by the pandemic... as many of them are frontliners, acting among others as doctors, nurses and health supports."
Lusiani Julia, ILO’s programme officer who also acts as a gender focal point of ILO Jakarta Office
Lusiani presented the key principals of ILO Convention No. 19 and its link to the better OSH protection, particularly for women workers, during the discussion held at the end of May. Titled “OSH Protection for Women Workers and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace”, it was viewed by more than 300 viewers and was part of the regular talkshow of DK3N to raise public awareness about issues related to OSH.
The interactive talkshow also presented two other resource persons: Hindun Anisah, Special Adviser to the Minister of Manpower and Hanifa M. Denny, an academia from the University of Diponegoro. Hindun shared the plan of the Ministry of Manpower to issue new regulations aimed to protect women workers, particularly those who work as frontliners at the health sector; while Hanifa revealed her research findings on onion farmers about violence and harassment at the workplace.
OSH measures should be further strengthened to prevent and reduce psychosocial risks, including violence and harassment, and promote workers’ mental health and well-being."
Therefore, according to Lusi, in the the COVID-19 context, OSH measures explicitly aimed at preventing and reducing psychosocial risks, including violence and harassment, take on heightened significance. “OSH measures should be further strengthened to prevent and reduce psychosocial risks, including violence and harassment, and promote workers’ mental health and well-being.”