REPRESENTATIVES from government ministries responsible for gender and other stakeholders will on November 12 and 13 meet in Arusha to discuss measures on the first International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards that address violence and harassment in the workplace.

Convention 190 concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace was adopted in Geneva on June 21, 2019 and will come into force on June 25, 2021.

Tanzania being a member to ILO has the obligation to comply with international standards with regard to the elimination of violence and harassment in the workplace.

The Employment and Labour Relations Act (Cap 366) in Section 3(g) generally gives effect to the core Conventions of ILO as well as other ratified conventions.

The Employment and Labour Relations Act prohibits discrimination in the workplace (Section 7) and in Subsection 5 it provides that harassment is a form of discrimination and is prohibited by law. So, does violence.

Tanzania is on track to discuss labour standards that address violence and harassment in the workplace.

The Convention provides that “violence and harassment” in the workplace refers to a range of unacceptable behaviour and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm and includes gender-based violence and harassment.

It also provides that the term “gender-based violence and harassment” means violence and harassment directed towards persons because of their sex or gender, or affecting persons of a particular sex or gender disproportionately, and includes sexual harassment.

According to Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Dorothy Mwaluko, the discussion will not only hinge on violence and harassment in the workplace, but also on other issues such as schools, colleges, market places and transportation. Even in Tanzania there have been complaints of violence and harassment in the workplace.

Various government leaders and other stakeholders have shown their stand on this and have called on the victims to raise their voices so that the culprits may be held responsible. The government has also set up gender desks at police stations to cater for children and women who experience discrimination and gender-based violence. This is a good thing that has to be maintained.

We think that participants in the Arusha meeting, organised by the government in collaboration with ILO Tanzania Office, will come up with recommendations on areas that need to be reflected on to end violence and harassment in the workplace. It is through this that all employees will enjoy equal rights and each employee will be paid equally if he or she performs similar duties and has similar qualifications. So, there is a need to work hard to end violence and discrimination not only in the workplace, but also in other areas of social life.