16 October 2025
North Macedonia: Women trade union leaders call for concrete action on ILO C190 implementation
To mark two years since the ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment and one year since it entered into force, the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and the Trade Union of Construction, Industry and Design Workers of Macedonia (SGIP) organised an online workshop for women trade union leaders and officials under the theme “ILO C190 and R206 – Unions in Action: Steps Forward for Change.” Participants reflected on the progress and challenges in implementing the Convention in North Macedonia, noting that although one year has passed since it became legally binding, its practical implementation remains very limited.
Participants noted that while North Macedonia’s Law against Harassment at the Workplace, adopted in 2013, predates the ratification of ILO C190, it has not yet been revised to align with the Convention’s provisions. Encouragingly, by the end of 2025, the government plans to establish a working group with trade union participation to initiate the process of legal harmonization. Trade union women also expressed concern about the increasing prevalence of domestic violence. This topic has become prominent in public debate, while emphasising that violence and harassment in the workplace are still not systematically monitored or reported, particularly in male-dominated sectors such as construction.
While women workers often turn to trade unions informally for advice, formal complaints remain rare—in the past three years, only one official report was submitted through the trade union’s digital application.
“Unfortunately, in male-dominated sectors like construction, discrimination, violence, and harassment against women remain almost invisible,” said Ivana Dimitrova, Chair of the BWI European Women’s Committee and representative of SGIP North Macedonia. “Most research data focuses on sectors where women form the majority, such as education and services, while construction is often perceived as a sector without women. There are few women in construction, and for a reason — many leave because they cannot cope with the violence and discriminatory environment at worksites. If we don’t address these issues in a concrete, practical, and comprehensive manner, we will never see more women entering or staying in the sector.”
The workshop concluded with a strong commitment by women trade union leaders to work collectively to combat gender-based violence and harassment at work and to mobilise national trade union unity in advocating for real change at the national level.