Director-general of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Chinyere Almona, has advocated coordinated national efforts to eliminate gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace.
This is just as she described it as a critical barrier to economic development and social justice which is affecting the productivity of workers in bringing to table their best for their employers.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), Dr. Almona emphasised the need for drastic enforcement of law that could bring actionable punishment to perpetrators in order to achieve best workplace practices in line with ILO Convention No. 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work.
She explained that the issue not only violates individual rights but also impedes the creation of safe, inclusive, and productive work environments, applauding the organisers for prioritising a conversation that transcends sectors and affects all segments of society.
LCCI boss proposed a multi-faceted approach to tackle GBVH, including legal reform, adoption of workplace policies, capacity building for stakeholders, nationwide awareness campaigns, and the provision of victim support services such as hotlines, shelters, and legal aid. She also called for robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure full compliance by employers and institutions.
In her own overview of ILO Convention 190, ILO representative, Inviolata Chinyangarara, charged all employers of labour to make workers enjoy and put in their best by creating and sustaining conducive working environment that is free from sexual harassment.
According to Chinyangarara, “A conducive atmosphere will enable workers to put in their best, this is the expectation of ILO Convention 190. As Nigeria is a signatory to Convention 190, Nigerian employers should abide by it.”
Likewise, a renowned media practitioner, Comrade Funmi Komolafe, charged workers against indecency, noting that most workers, especially ladies, should be ready to change the ugly narrative through decent dressing and mannerism.
On their parts, Barrister Akinwade from NECA, a renowned lecturer, Professor Tunde Akanni, in unanimous decision noting that sexual harassment has not only gone beyond workplace issue but now is taking place everywhere, as such it should be treated with the seriousness it deserves based on the harm it is inflicting on victims.