The increasing use of technology has made online harassment a prevalent issue in the workplace. The ILO’s global survey in 2021 revealed that one in three women and one in five men experienced violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, in the workplace.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the Survey on Violence and Harassment at Work in 2022, jointly conducted by ILO and Never Okay Project found that from a total of 1,173 workers participating in the survey, 70.93 percent of respondents have experienced or have become a victim of one of the forms of violence and harassment at work and 39.6 percent of them have experienced online harassment and violence.

This phenomenon can cause significant harms to employees, leading to decreased productivity, low morale and even resignation. Thus, it is essential for companies to take proactive measures to prevent and address online harassment to maintain a safe and healthy work environment.

Therefore, in line with the global and national campaign of the promotion to ratify the ILO Convention No. 190 on Harassment and Violence, the ILO in Indonesia in collaboration with the ICT Watch Indonesia organized a workshop titled “Addressing Online Violence and Harassment at World of Work in Indonesia” in Jakarta on 21 March.

The workshop aimed to increase the understanding of representatives of relevant ministries as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations about the impact of online and digital-based harassment at the workplace for women workers and companies. It also aimed to strengthen personal digital security to protect workers from digital attack.

Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia, highlighted the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in the digital space and tackling gender-based online violence and harassment. She also linked the crucial issue of digitalization with this year’s International Women’s Day which annually falls on 8 March about digitalization for gender equality.

From the perspective of the government, the Ministry of Manpower focused its recommendation on the socialization and prevention of sexual harassment at work; while the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection underscored data sharing related to online gender-based violence to raise the awareness about the urgency of this issue and to identify the right interventions that can be done by relevant stakeholders.

From the employers, representatives of the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) highlighted the importance of public sensitization regarding the urgency of the online gender-based violence that can be conducted collaboratively with relevant stakeholders and the importance of the participation of companies, particularly company members of Apindo.

Meanwhile trade unions focused on the tripartite collaborative efforts and a greater participation and involvement of the trade unions at all levels to prevent violence and harassment at work.

The ILO Convention No. 190 is a landmark international treaty that aims to prevent and eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace. This includes all forms of violence and harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, whether offline or online. Meanwhile, online and digital-based harassment can take many forms and occur through various online platforms, including social media, emails, instant messaging and other digital tools.