4 August 2020
The Right Honourable Boris Johnson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister
On behalf of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland(SIGBI1) Ltd I am writing to encourage the UK Government to adopt the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 190 (C190), regarding the elimination of violence and harassment in the workplace.
Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland is a non-governmental organisation in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. We are part of a global organisation, Soroptimist International (SI), which consists of Soroptimist International of the Americas, Soroptimist International of Europe, Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland, Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific, and Soroptimist International of Africa. SI operates as a global volunteer movement working to transform the lives of women and girls. Our network of 72,000 club members in 121 countries works at a local, national, and international level to educate, empower, and enable women and girls be the best they can be.
Many studies have demonstrated that violence and harassment is a persistent problem affecting all countries, sectors, and occupations around the world. This violation of human rights affects the ability of victims to reach their full potential, in both the professional and personal spheres. Whilst it can affect anyone, violence and harassment in the workplace particularly affects women, and more acutely those with low socio-economic status, indigenous women, women from ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ women, migrant workers, women with disabilities, and young women. Violence and harassment in the workplace reinforce stereotypes about the victim’s abilities, negatively impacting on the physical, mental, social, and economic well-being of those affected.
Further to the significant cost to the victim, violence and harassment in the workplace has a profoundly negative effect on profitability due to “large monetary costs for governments and employers, particularly in terms of medical care and counselling, lost productivity, case settlement
1 https://sigbi.org/who-we-are/history-of-soroptimist-international/
Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd 2nd Floor, Beckwith House 1-3 Wellington Road North Stockport SK4 1AF E: hq@sigbi.org W: www.sigbi.org
and judicial monetary awards”2. Moreover, violence and harassment in the workplace frequently results in fewer women entering or remaining in the labour market; this is to the detriment of the individual victim, and the wider community. In many sectors, violence and harassment in the workplace causes whole intersections of the population to withdraw from positions justly within their level of training and expertise. Violence and harassment in the workplace correlates closely to gender equity relating to pay, career progression, and occupational segregation. We must act to remedy this if we are to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the social inequalities which have been apparent for many years. The ratification and immediate implementation of ILO C190 and accompanying Recommendation 206 is an essential step towards building a safer, inclusive, and more productive workforce across the world, including the UK. Recent reports of ‘sweat shops’ in the Midlands underlines the need to take action.
In addition ratification of ILO C 190 would help to ensure that we support and implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Convention to End all forms of Discrimination Against Women Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA)
For these reasons, Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland urges you to join those Governments that have ratified the Convention, in adopting and adhering to these ILO standards aimed at addressing violence and harassment in the world of work.
Yours sincerely
Isobel Smith
President of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd