Liberia Labour Congress, Solidarity Center Launches Advocacy Campaign For ILO Convention 190 Ratification

MONROVIA — When former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf signed the Decent Work Act into law on 25 June 2015, worker unions whose membership constitute a vast majority of the local workforce across the country felt relief as the new law simplified labour rights issues and marked the country’s first standardized labour law since the 50s.

However, beyond legal protection, the new act felt short to specifically address issues of harassment and sexual and gender-based violence that have been a pervasive face of abuses targeted mainly at women in the world of work in post-war Liberia.

In a new bid to address this gap, the Liberia Labour Congress (LLC) through its Women Commission in collaboration with Solidarity Center Liberia, facilitated by other national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including Youth Movement for Collective Action (UMOVEMENT-Liberia) launched a renew advocacy campaign on 25 June 2021 in Monrovia.

The advocacy campaign is calling on the Government of Liberia through the Liberian Legislature to swiftly ratify the InternationalLabour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 or (C190).

“We launch this C190 and we ask that the Government through the Legislature will pass it into law,” said Inspector Khadarue V. Kamara, Chief of Charge of Quarter, Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberia National Police (LNP) central headquarters.

He reaffirmed WACPS’ commitment to ensuring that women and children are protected, especially against gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence and harassment across Liberia.  

Liberia was among 106 countries that voted in favor of and signed the treaty, along with Recommendation 206 at an ILO conference in Switzerland in June 2019.

The treaty is recognized as the first global binding treaty to address gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work and called on governments, employers and unions to work together to confront root causes of GBVH, including multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, gender stereotypes and unequal gender-based power relationships.

Reading the campaign’s statement, UMOVEMENT-Liberia Gender Officer Siemon L. Wee highlighted why the country should make domesticating the C190 document a major priority now.

“As we undergo this nation state of emergency on rape, we want to remind the Government of Liberia that now is the time for her to honor her signature and commitment to the ILO by ratifying Convention 190 and recommendation 206 as a demonstration of commitment to combat rape, harassment and gender-based violence which is also common in the work place so that as  we transition, we will be able to count this as one of key achievements under the state of emergency on the menace” she said.

“We recognized the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the country and the world of work at large and amidst the challenges it presents, women in particular are more vulnerable to gender-based violence and harassment including the impact of domestic violence on workforce.

Gender-based violence is more likely to increase with the potential impact of reducing the level of productivity among women. Our advocacy is for the Government of Liberia to do what she says she will do by ratifying, implementing and enforcing C190 before June 2022 because this will create a space to end the culture of silence and create a positive change among workers especially the women” she noted.

Since the signing of the C190, worker unions and trade organizations around the world including Liberia have been conducting series of awareness and training workshops with members, employers and other organizations to pave the way for smooth enforcement of the tripartite effort to confront GBVH at work places through collectively bargaining.

Trade unionist Jackie Doe of the LLC pointed out that the signing of the treaty have had no impact on the reduction of GBVH, adding that strong commitment in the form of legislation will be key in advancing worker unions’ right to combat the issue.  

 “Sexual and gender-based violence occur on a daily basis in the work places. It is affecting people seeking job as well as those who are already working,” she said.

Adding “at first, we were only concerned about abuses against women and girls but right now, the young men and boys are also facing increasing attack so something needs to be done urgently. We are counting on the Ministry of Labour as well to support us because this is a genuine cause to protect the labor market under it watch from shrinking by the accesses of individuals for their personal gains,” she said.