Women are undervalued, underpaid and the target of disparaging stereotypes and even violence—but by joining together in unions, they stand strong with a collective voice to change the workplace, society and government, women union leaders said today in a panel event....
The Solidarity Center prioritizes preventing and addressing gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work, recognizing it is a primary barrier to achieving gender equality and a key step for security of all workers’ rights. The Solidarity Center seeks to enhance the voice of women and other marginalized workers in policy making at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the risk of gender-based violence at work and build leadership, voice and direct participation of women and other marginalized workers and their unions.
Beginning in 2014, the Solidarity Center was a core member of a global coalition of worker rights organizations led by women union activists that successfully advocated for a landmark global standard (Convention 190) to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment which was adopted by the International Labor Organization in June 2019. We support our partners as they campaign for their governments to ratify ILO Convention 190.
See related factsheets, videos and reports.
The Union Difference in Guatemala Banana Plantations
Unionized workers on Guatemala banana plantations earn more, work fewer hours, face less sexual harassment, and have safer workplaces, including during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Solidarity Center report. (The report also is available in Spanish.) “What...
New Tool for the Campaign to End Gender-Based Violence at Work
As union activists around the world urge their governments to ratify International Labor Organization Convention 190, the first global standard to address gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work, they also are educating and mobilizing members,...
Unions Create Democratic Space in Zimbabwe (2013)
Unions in Zimbabwe are ensuring the concerns of working people are heard—while highlighting issues feeding into the nation's poverty crisis, a Solidarity Center report finds. English (PDF) Arabic (PDF) French (PDF) Spanish (PDF) Sources
Solidarity Center Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund: Workers Helping Workers Recover and Rebuild. Final Report, January 2010-March 2013
Following the devastating January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti, the Solidarity Center established a relief fund to route donations from U.S. unions and workers to Haitian workers and their families in need. The final report on these efforts, released on the third...
The Plight of Shrimp-Processing Workers of Southwestern Bangladesh (2012)
Bangladesh’s labor code addresses pay, working hours, and on-the-job conditions. However, in the shrimp-processing industry, the code is not being adequately enforced. Bangladeshi shrimp-processing workers—the majority of whom are women—still face inadequate health...
Gender Equality and Labor Movements: Toward a Global Perspective (Rutgers, 2012)
A critical review of the English-language research on gender equality and labor movements highlighting “best practice” case studies around the world most relevant to those engaged in building democratic and humane societies. This Solidarity Center report is part of a...
Home-based Workers in the Export Garment Sector in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study in Dhaka City (Wiego, 2012)
Workers in the home-based export garment sector remain an invisible segment of the labor market, and this report is first step toward a systematic documentation of this phenomenon, with special emphasis on employment conditions, worker livelihoods and issues affecting...
Legal and Policy Tools to Meet Informal Workers’ Demands: Lessons from India (WIEGO, 2012)
This report highlights key lessons from a WIEGO pilot project in India examining the nature of the informal economy and the way legal and policy tools can address the concerns of those working in the informal economy. This Solidarity Center report is part of a...