On June 20, the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a project in Maseru, Lesotho, to create safer and more inclusive workplaces by focusing on occupational health, safety, and ending gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH).
Lesotho is a small country entirely surrounded by the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape.
The project is supported by the governments of Lesotho and the USA, the ILO, trade unions (including the Democratic Union of Lesotho - IDUL), labour support organisations, NGOs, the Ministry of Labour, the Solidarity Centre, and the US embassy.
The project will help implement ILO Convention 190, which Lesotho ratified in 2023, to combat GBVH in the workplace and aims to build on the 2019 Lesotho agreement that addresses gender-based violence and sexual exploitation in the textile and garment sector, which unions, NGOs, and Nien Hsing Textile Company signed.
IDUL hopes the project will expand the success of the Lesotho Agreement to other factories and sectors, reducing GBVH incidents.
The multilateral partnership for organising, worker empowerment and rights (M-POWER), which is co-chaired by the US government and the ITUC supports the project. The partnership includes several governments, trade unions, and worker rights organisations.
An M-POWER summit in July 2023 discussed the effectiveness of the Lesotho Agreement in improving factory conditions and addressing GBVH violations. GBVH remains a significant issue in garment factories in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially affecting women workers in Lesotho's garment industry.
Source: IndustriALL, 27 June