The National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) is leading an effort to use ILO Convention 190 to fight against gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the textile and garment industry with a training session in Lagos focused on empowering women leaders to combat GBVH by providing information, raising awareness, and building skills to promote gender equality at work.
The training aims to create a network of activists within the union who will advocate for gender equality and challenge norms that oppress working women.
Experts from different organisations have emphasised the importance of using ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 to address GBVH issues, including domestic violence, as a workplace matter.
Nigeria ratified the Convention in 2022.
The workshop discussed topics like timely resolution of GBVH grievances, recognizing domestic violence's impact at work, setting up mechanisms to protect whistle-blowers and victims, and involving representatives in supporting victims.
Recommendations from the workshop include increasing women's leadership roles, identifying women's priorities, supporting mentorship programs, creating dedicated spaces for women workers, and involving women in negotiation teams. Childcare and support services were also highlighted to boost women's participation in the workplace.
Supported by FES Nigeria, the workshop builds on previous recommendations from a feminist conference and mark an important step toward creating safer and more inclusive workplaces in the textile and garment sector.
Source: IndustriALL, 27 July 2023