As part of activities marking the”16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, the Gender Center for Empowering Development (GenCED), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has called on the government to ratify the ILO C190.
The 16 days ‘Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ are to enhance awareness and deepen advocacy against gender-based violence (GBV) to be concluded with the commemoration of International Human Rights Day on the 10th of December 2022.
This year’s theme: “UNITE! Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” calls on countries to take a stand against gender-based violence to ensure that it is eliminated.
A statement signed by Madam Esther Tawiah, Executive Director of GenCED, and copied to The Chronicle in Sunyani, said, “Too many women and children continue to feel vulnerable and insecure and that is simply not right. As an organisation, we encourage you to answer the call to action by speaking up and challenging the norms around you because it would take the efforts of everyone to end violence against women and children.”
The International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted the ILO Convention 190, which came into force on 25 June 2021. Despite the fact that there are no laws to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace, the government of Ghana has still not ratified C190 which would require the government to put in place the necessary laws, and policy measures to prevent and address violence and harassment at work.
According to the Domestic Violence Victims and Support Unit (DOVVSU), over 60 percent of Ghanaian women are sexually harassed at the workplace and higher learning institutions.
In 2021, GenCED conducted research on sexual harassment in the workplace based on survey data from five regions of Ghana namely; Central, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta, and Eastern. The aim of the research was to let the government know that sexual harassment in the workplace is real.
The findings of the research show that sexual harassment continues to prevail in workplaces due to power differential that exists at work, gender stereotypes entrenched by other societal norms, and also, the lack of proper strict legislation for instance sexual harassment policies to deal with it.
It also revealed that women who face sexual harassment are reluctant to report it because of the lack of effective reporting mechanisms in the workplace and fears of loss of job.
The research concluded that the introduction of anti-harassment policies in the workplace and ultimately the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 would help to end workplace sexual harassment.
“To eliminate Gender-based Violence means to increase awareness about it through advocacy and that is exactly what we do as an organisation,” Madam Tawiah said in the statement.
Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) seeks to empower women and youth for sustainable development in our communities.
GenCED is currently focusing on the following key areas of development as enclosed in the 12 Critical Areas of Worry in the Beijing Platform for Action: governance, social interference issues, and entrepreneurship.
Since its establishment, GenCED has championed the rights of women and children through advocacy.
