Prioritising strategies to tackle discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace
Discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace has been identified as a critical barrier to decent work for women in the Pacific. This is one of key outcomes of an ILO Technical Expert Meeting on Gender and Decent Work held in Suva in July.
Under the leadership from the ILO Office of Pacific Island Countries and Jane Hodges, the Director of the Gender Equality and Diversity Branch of the ILO, the ITechnical Expert Meeting on Gender and Decent Work brought together technical experts including a range of UN agencies, representatives from ministries in six Pacific countries as well as key donor agencies.
Much of the discussion focused on the impact of widespread inequalities driving social exclusion and poverty. Of particular concern is the pervasive and significant level of violence against women girls and in the Pacific region which is among the highest in the world. During the meeting presentations by the ILO and UN Women highlighted a shared concern about the connection between violence in homes and communities and negative spill over into workplaces including violence, sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. The ILO is working with UN Women and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to identify future strategies to drive culture change in workplaces and communities to tackle these issues.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the ILO to work with experts from a range of agencies and constituent governments to identify areas of critical importance where it can add the most value to advancing gender equality and decent work in the region. This meeting was chaired by Professor Margaret Wilson of Waikato University (New Zealand).
Much of the discussion focused on the impact of widespread inequalities driving social exclusion and poverty. Of particular concern is the pervasive and significant level of violence against women girls and in the Pacific region which is among the highest in the world. During the meeting presentations by the ILO and UN Women highlighted a shared concern about the connection between violence in homes and communities and negative spill over into workplaces including violence, sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. The ILO is working with UN Women and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to identify future strategies to drive culture change in workplaces and communities to tackle these issues.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the ILO to work with experts from a range of agencies and constituent governments to identify areas of critical importance where it can add the most value to advancing gender equality and decent work in the region. This meeting was chaired by Professor Margaret Wilson of Waikato University (New Zealand).