Touriya Lahrech, longtime gender activist in #Morocco, says the International Labor Organization's passage of a global rule on gender-based violence at work is big step for workers: "We have to look to our future to implement it in our countries and protect workers' human rights & dignity."
English Transcript:
Hello, I am Touriya Lahrech, I am a member of the National Council of the Democratic Confederation of Labor and I am also a member of the Moroccan Parliament.
We have been fighting against violence against women for years, but the event long ago that remains anchored in my mind is when, as women, we participated in a march against poverty and violence against women that I coordinated in Morocco. So, it was a momentous moment because we all came together as feminist, labor, and civil society associations, to demand that there be laws to protect women because violence and poverty are obstacles that prevent full development and citizenship of the woman.
Regarding this convention, it is of great importance. First, it brought us all, the three partners, which are the unions, the employers, and the government, and we are all trying to move forward and find laws that could end violence in the world of work. And what is also important is that this convention includes categories of vulnerable workers, including domestic workers, migrant workers, women workers in the agricultural sector, seasonal workers, and therefore all forms of work.
What is also important is that this convention also talks about the damaging effects of domestic violence. It is important to discuss and decide what is the workplace and what is the world of work. We are very happy.
Once we return to Morocco, we will go back to the charge to include in our current laws ending violence in the world of work. In Morocco, when the law on violence against women was being discussed, we demanded, as CDT (which I represented) that violence in the world of work be mentioned.
And so, congratulations to the women, bravo to the men, bravo to all those who contributed to this work.
