The ministry of labour will this week host a workshop aimed at sensitizing stakeholders on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.
The workshop slated for Thursday will be held at Windhoek Country Club in preparation to the ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention 190 on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the world of work.
Namibia declared her interest to ratify the ILO convention 190.
The convention was adopted in June 2019 at the annual international labour conference. Its adoption means that the world of work, for the first time, has an international binding instrument aimed specifically at eliminating violence and harassment.
The convention protects workers and other person in the working world irrespective of their contractual status, person in training (including interns and apprentices), workers whose employment has been terminated, volunteers, jobseekers, customers and job applicants as well as individuals exercising the authority, duties or responsibilities of an employer.
The convention also recognises that violence and harassment in the world constitute a human right violation and is also a threat to equal opportunities and thus is unacceptable and incompatible with decent work.
It defines violence and harassment as behaviours, practices or treats that aimed at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm.
As a result, labour ministry executive director Bro-Matthew Shinguadja said stakeholders will look at implications of the convention and its recommendations for action, identifying possible roles and needs of each stakeholder in the fight against violence and harassment at workplaces in Namibia and identifying priority areas for technical support.
He said, so far, the ministry in collaboration with the ILO commissioned a study on violence and harassment in the world of work in Namibia last year.
“The overall objective of the study was to contribute to the formulation of policies and programmes aimed at preventing and eliminating violence and harassment against women and men in the workplaces in Namibia,” Shinguadja said.
“The report of the study was validated and it will be launched during the workshop,” he added.