Mobilize to Stop Gender-Based Violence

18 February 2019 07:34



  • One in 3 women world-wide over the age of 15 have experienced sexual or physical violence in their homes, communities, or in the workplace.

  • 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone female genital mutilation.

  • Women and girls account for 71% of all human trafficking victims globally. Nearly three out of our women are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation

Since the adoption of the BWI 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, BWI affiliates led by women trade union leaders throughout the world are organizing, mobilizing, and campaigning to stop all forms of gender-based violence. The campaign to end gender-based violence is intrinsically linked to the campaign for gender equality. Only when women’s work and contributions politically, economically, and socially are equally valued and respected can gender-based violence be fully eliminated.

In the BWI male-dominated sectors, men have a strong role in supporting the fight to end sexual harassment, discrimination and violence against women. They can stop the “macho culture” and build an equal work environment and community.

This year, the BWI led by the political leadership of the International Women’s Committee will actively campaign for the adoption of an ILO convention accompanied by a Recommendation, on “Violence and Harassment against Women and Men in the World of Work”, with a strong focus on the gender dimension of violence.

For 2019 International Women’s Day, the BWI is calling its affiliates to continue the campaign to stop gender-based violence by organizing actions and activities showing in their workplaces and communities to show the power of women to end gender-based violence. It also calls on men to stop the “macho culture” to end gender-based violence.

Join the campaign by doing the following:

  • Organize an event at the workplace, community, and union to increase awareness about sexual harassment and sexual violence against women; the campaign to end gender-based violence; and how to stop the “macho culture” in the workplace.

  • Highlight #Herstories of women who have experienced sexual harassment and violence and how they fought back. Send these #Herstories to BWI to post on BWI web-sites and social media for International Women’s Day. These #Herstories can be written with a photo or short videos.

  • Take a photo with the attached poster and post via social media including the BW@Work facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BWI.work with #Mystory #Mycampaign #End Gender-based Violence.

  • Use the BWI campaign facebook frame #Mystory #My campaign to end gender-based violence for the month of March to highlight International Women’s Day.

  • Meet with your government representatives to support a strong ILO convention accompanied by a Recommendation, on “Violence and Harassment against Women and Men in the World of Work”.

2019 IWD Calls are available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, and Arabic.

Stop Gender-Based Violence Posters are available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Korean and Arabic.