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Evidence from new studies in three countries on the impact of domestic violence in the workplace was presented by ILO during the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). More information is availbable at: http://www.ilo.org/gender/Events/WCMS_208336/lang--en/index.htm

On 21 June 2019 in Geneva, the International Labour Conference adopted the Violence and Harassment in the World of Work Convention (No. 190) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 206), which are the first-ever international standards on this topic. The Conference also adopted the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future or Work, expressing a clear commitment to a world of work that is free from violence and harassment.

The ILO has embarked on a process towards the possible adoption of international labour standards on violence and harassment in the world of work. This is pursued through the International Labour Conference Standard Setting Committee on violence and harassment in the world of work, which is scheduled to meet on June 2018 and June 2019.

In June 2011, the International Labour Conference adopted the Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The new standards are a strong recognition of the economic and social value of domestic work and a call for action to address the existing exclusions of domestic workers from labour and social protection. Article 5 of Convention No. 189 calls for measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy effective protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence.

ILO’s International Migration Programme (MIGRANT) prepared a global policy-advice report on gender and migration for the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development: Seizing Opportunities and Upholding Rights (ICGMD) that covered the issue of violence against women migrant workers. The conference took place in September 2008 and was organized with UNIFEM, UNICEF, Migrants Forum in Asia (MFA), and Migrant Rights International (MRI) and resulted in The Manila Call to Action and its Resolution: http://www.icgmd.info/docs/icgmd_manila_call_to_action.pdf

ILO’s approach to violence against migrant women is also based on the promotion of labour standards for migrant workers within a Decent Work framework. Important standards to specifically promote the protection and welfare of migrant workers, including women, are the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised) 1949 (No.97), Migrant Workers Supplementary Provisions Convention 1975, (N0.143) and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (N0.181).

A standard-setting item on “Violence against women and men in the world of work” is listed on the agenda of the ILO 107th Session (June 2018) of the International Labour Conference.

In June 2010, the International Labour Conference will hold the first round of discussions on a draft instrument on decent work for domestic workers, and in 2011 will discuss the standard(s) with a view to its adoption. A new standard on decent work for domestic workers will contribute to the effective abolition of child labour within domestic work and help to prevent and eliminate violence against domestic workers of any age.

1. The ILO report “Care work and care jobs for the future of work” gathers diverse data on the presence of violence and harassment in care work and acknowledges that, “on occasion, care workers experience violence and harassment” and that “health-care workers report some of the highest levels of violence compared to other industries or sectors”. See: ILO. 2018. Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work (Geneva). 
2. A national questionnaire and a paper was developed in Egypt in early 2018 to better understand the dimension of violence at work. The paper is under finalization.

The ILO study project on protecting migrant workers and combating trafficking: Building an information and knowledge base for policy support on international migration in the Gulf Council States examines the living and working conditions of migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States, in which women domestic workers are a crucial concern. The project is based on a survey on the recruitment of migrant workers, their protection in employment including from all forms of violence, their income earning particulars, and their working and living conditions. It addresses issues concerning treatment at the hands of their employers and also with regard to channels through which they can address their grievances.