Banana workers in Côte d’Ivoire are celebrating the 6 May announcement by their country’s government that it has ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work.
According to government spokesperson, Amadou Coulibaly, the ratification will “enable the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the prevention and complete elimination of violence and harassment, covering men and women in the world of work, in all its diversity”.
Claudelle Kouadio, Women’s chair of the national trade union federation of banana workers (FETBACI) said:
“Today is a great day for us, the workers of Côte d’Ivoire. Especially for the women of Côte d’Ivoire. After several years of fighting against this scourge. The news has finally come, yes, Convention 190 on violence against women has been ratified. More than just joy, it is a sense of moral satisfaction. Thank you to all the national and international organisations, and to the Ivorian government, for listening to us.”
Adopted at the Centenary International Labour Conference of the ILO in June 2019, the convention enshrines the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment. It covers all forms of violence and harassment, be it verbal, physical, social, sexual or psychological, that occurs anytime and anywhere in all places and circumstances related to work, regardless of the location, size, sector or type of enterprise.
Côte d’Ivoire is the fifty seventh United Nations member state to have ratified the Convention so far, and joins Costa Rica, Ecuador Mexico, Panana, Peru and the Philippines of the major banana exporting nations to have done so.
The country is Africa’s largest banana exporter, ninth largest in the world, and fourth largest supplier to the European market, principally to France, Spain, Belgium and United Kingdom. The industry employs around 15,000 permanent workers with about 23% of them being women.
The ratification follows concerted campaigning by Ivorian trade unions, including the women of the Ivorian Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). According to Kobri Gisèle, Chair of the ICFTU Women’s Commission:
“Violence and harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment, psychological harassment and sexist behaviour, too often plague workplaces in Ivory Coast. These acts undermine the dignity of workers, damage their physical and mental health, and hinder the country’s economic development.”
Alistair Smith, Banana Link International Coordinator said:
“This latest ratification means that a significant number of banana exporting countries have now committed to implementing strategies to combat gender-based harassment and violence, most often with strong campaigns by trade unions. Now the work starts to ensure that the Convention does not remain on paper.“
Sources: Ivorian Press Agency, Influence magazine, Gouvernement de Côte d’Ivoire, FETBACI.
Photo: Influence Magazine
