Latin America: Peru ratifies ILO Convention 190

Peru on 31 January became the fourth country in Latin America and the Caribbean to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment in the world of work, and eleventh at the global level. With 110 votes, the Peruvian Congress ratified the Convention. The country joins Uruguay, Argentina and Ecuador in ratifying the international tool.

The ratification was the result of the tireless efforts of the Peruvian trade union movement with the active support of the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE). Gumercinda Ángeles, leader of the Regional Women Committee of Latin America and the Caribbean (RWC-LAC) and SUTFACAP-Peru, called the ratification a big win for the working class, especially women workers. 

“This demonstrates the power of unity and how far women's call for a more equitable and free from discrimination or harassment world can go. Now, the Peruvian trade union movement, together with the government, is sending a strong message to the international community that it is against all forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Our commitment now is to work on the State and companies' compliance with this Convention.” Ángeles said.

Since the ILO’s approval of Convention No. 190 and Recommendation 206 in 2019 at its 108^th International Labor Conference (ILC), BWI has joined the international trade union movement in urging countries to ratify the measure. In 2020, BWI launched its “16 Days of Trade Union Activism on Violence Against Women” as part of its global efforts to persuade more countries to ratify the Convention.