INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PAGES
Industry-wide progress
Fashion Revolution has recognised the importance of how supply chain data
is disclosed. In their 2019 Transparency Index, the organisation only awarded
points to brands disclosing data in machine readable files (Excel or CSV), and
in their 2020 Index they will be awarding additional bonus points for disclosure
via the OAR, due to the additional benefits this tool brings.
The Transparency Pledge, meanwhile, now notes both whether or not a brand
publishes on the OAR and also whether data is disclosed in compliance with
the Open Data Standard.
Aside from the work of these civil society organisations, enlightened brands
and MSIs have recognised the value that consistent data disclosure and syn-
chronization can bring and have gone beyond merely disclosing in these for-
mats themselves to also actively encouraging others to do so.
Tackling violence and harassment in textiles,
clothing, leather and footwear: Implications of
the new ILO Convention No. 190
Several risk factors have been identified as catalysts of violence and harass-
ment in the world of work. These include working situations that are not properly
covered or protected by labour law and social protection, work in resource-
constrained settings, unsocial working hours, abuse of imbalanced power rela-
tions, workplaces where one gender or ethnicity dominate, intersecting grounds
of discrimination, diverse forms of work arrangements, informality, difficulties
in monitoring abuses of workers’ rights, and absence or lack of workplace pol-
icies amongst others. Traditional gender stereotypes, multiple and intersecting
forms of discrimination and unequal gender-based power relations embedded in
a culture and society also seem to be a reason why gender-based violence and
harassment, including sexual harassment, is tolerated in the workplace.
Women make up over three-quarters of workers in the garment sector, ranging
from 63 per cent of the workforce in Jordan, 70 per cent in China, 85 per cent in
Bangladesh and 90 per cent of all garment workers in Cambodia. They tend to
be the most vulnerable to violence and harassment, particularly when in the
informal economy. In a baseline survey conducted by the ILO/International Fi-
nance Corporation Better Work programme (BW) in garment and footwear fac-
tories in Cambodia, “quid pro quo” sexual harassment is reported by 22 per cent
of the respondents.
To the workers, employers and other actors intervening directly or indirectly
throughout the garment value chain, this issue is an ever-present threat to their
human rights. It also dampens productivity at the firm, industry or national
levels. It “is incompatible with the promotion of sustainable enterprises and
impacts negatively on the organization of work, workplace relations, worker
engagement, enterprise reputation, and productivity”. Research has estimated
the economic costs associated with violence & harassment at 1.5 trillion USD.
ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 and its Recommendation
Within the above context, the ILO adopted the Violence and Harassment Con-
vention, 2019 (No. 190) and its accompanying Recommendation (No.206) in
June 2019 during the International Labour Conference (ILC). The Convention is
now open for ratification and some countries, such as Uruguay, have already
committed to do so. The ILO Convention No. 190 will enter into force only twelve
months after at least two member States ratify it. The new instruments respond
to a widely accepted need to prevent, address and end violence and harass-
NCM-MARCH 2020
61ment in the world of work. Countries
that ratify the Convention will need to
take the necessary measures to en-
sure its effective implementation.
The Convention defines violence and
harassment as a “range of unaccept-
able behaviours and practices, or
threats thereof, whether a single oc-
currence or repeated, that aim at, re-
sult in, or are likely to result in physi-
cal, psychological, sexual or econom-
ic harm, and includes gender-based
violence and harassment”. In practice,
violence and harassment in garment
factories take various forms including
coercion, threats and retaliation, and
deprivations of liberty. Victims of vio-
lence and harassment can be anyone
in the world of work, including employ-
ees, persons working irrespective of
their contractual status, persons in
training and individuals exercising the
authority, duties or responsibilities of
an employer.
What progress has been made?
Workers and their organizations have
for many years fought to raise aware-
ness about violence and harassment
at in the world of work and will contin-
ue their call for actions at all levels –
global, regional, national, sectoral and
enterprise levels. Enterprises have
been working on reducing the risk fac-
tors by enabling more safe and healthy
working environments to effectively
promote responsible business conduct
and implement due diligence measures
and policies.
Although some gaps remain, progress
can be noted on the development, de-
sign, implementation and evaluation of
gender-responsive policies and plans
to mitigate and address real and po-
tential adverse impacts; the identifica-
tion of hazards and the assessment
of risks of violence and harassment;
the identification of intersecting forms
of discrimination among selected pop-
ulations (e.g. indigenous, LGBTI, peo-
ple with disabilities) which may in-
crease the risk of violence and harass-
ment.
Other solutions include capacity build-