PHOTO: Women Council’s executives
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Women Council of the Liberia Labor Congress with support from Action Aid Liberia has launched a massive campaign aimed at encouraging the Liberian government to take action to ratify International Labor Convention 190 (C!()).
ILO Convention 190 calls on government to provide for specific measures to address gender-based violence and harassment disproportionally affecting women and girls.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia recently, the LLC National Women Council Chair, Venus Quite, said they are convinced that the advocacy campaign to ratify the ILO Convention 190 will enlighten all stakeholders, including the legislature on the urgency of the ratification and domestication of the C190.
She explained that the LLC National Women Council has built a coalition with civil society organizations and human rights groups to ensure the ratification of C190.
In Liberia, two-thirds of the electorates are workers and their families and are the largest constituencies of any lawmaker within the country, according to the Women’s Council Chair.
Madam Quite added that from this back drop, it is prudent that the national legislature seek the welfare of the workers constituent.
The LLC National Women Council Chair indicated that the council is working with ActionAid Liberia through the strengthening engagement in the global economy fund and its affiliates, the Ministry of Labor and other civil society organizations.
This, the Council says will ensure that there is a clear road map towards the ratification and domestication of the C190.
Madam Quite explained that the campaign will be done through a series of activities and climax with the presentation of a petition to the national legislature
“Our objective is to create awareness through an advocacy campaign for the ratification of convention 190 gender-based violence and harassment countering violence and harassment in the world of work,” she said; adding: “so far, our activities have been to hold lobby meetings with lawmakers, engaging in meetings with partners and stake holders and carrying out routine media program to create public awareness.”
The National Women’s Council has also planned to hold campaign meeting with the Ministry of Labor and mobilize the support of trade union organizations.
According to the council, the most trending violation in Liberia is the issue of gender-based violence and harassment.
The leaders of the council say that women are most vulnerable group of workers in the country because they are marginalized to an extent that they are not fully covered by the Decent Work Act of Liberia
Also at the press conference were Edwina Carr, Marthaline Cole and Jestina Konneh Jaward, the program Coordinator at Action Aid Liberia.