“Trade unions and employers must act together to prevent violence at work, support the victims and sanction the perpetrators.” underlined Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe.

Physical or psychological violence against women can happen at every workplace, irrespective of sector, profession, or educational level. IndustriAll Europe therefore fully supports ETUC’s call on President-designate of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Equality Commissioner-designate, Helena Dalli, to step up action in this field and on equal opportunities in general.

Klaudia Frieben, chair of industriAll Europe's Equal Opportunities Working Group that is meeting today in Helsinki, stated: “We need better European legislation, but also call on all governments to implement the Istanbul Convention, and to quickly ratify ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.”

Around 35% of women experience physical and/or sexual violence, but only 40% seek support. Young girls and older women, women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or women and girls living with disabilities are particularly at risk. The official United Nations theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2019 is ‘Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape’. Like in previous years, the 25 November launches 16 days of activism that will conclude on International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2019.

For more information and further comment please contact policy adviser Maike Niggemann.