A/HRC/44/36 C. Statements by representatives of States and observers 19. Speakers from the floor welcomed the adoption of ILO Convention No. 190 and Recommendation No. 206. Some emphasized the importance and relevance of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in eliminating violence and harassment against women in the world of work. Speakers emphasized the importance of taking a holistic approach to the prevention and elimination of such violence; recognizing the scope of violence and harassment in the world of work beyond those occurring in the physical workplace; establishing strong accountability mechanisms; effectively implementing laws and policies to protect labour rights; guaranteeing access to justice for survivors; engaging both women and men as agents for change; addressing the negative impact of digital technologies that is reinforcing and normalizing discriminatory gender stereotypes, misogyny, marginalization and violence against women; and paying particular attention to the heightened risks faced by workers in the informal sector, including migrant domestic workers. The importance of pushing back the current pushback against gender equality was also underscored. Calls were made to business enterprises to adopt a gender-transformative approach to violence and harassment and establish a gender-sensitive code of conduct with adequate training and confidential redress procedures. 20. Speakers pointed to the efforts made in relation to the elimination of violence and harassment against women in the world of work in their countries or regions. The European Trade Union Confederation had developed strategies to prevent, manage and eliminate workplace harassment and violence against women.2 The member States of the Caribbean Community had drafted a model bill on protection against sexual harassment. 3 Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were working with ILO, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the European Union to implement the “Safe and fair” programme, aimed at preventing and combating violence against women migrant workers in the region. 4 21. Speakers reported on national laws and policies adopted or amended to combat violence against and harassment of women in the workplace. Some countries had enacted laws to recognize financial entitlements for workers facing violence and harassment at work, including allowing paid leave or retaining their employment while they dealt with such violence. One speaker mentioned confidential counselling and informal dispute resolution, while safeguarding access to the formal justice system, as elements to eliminate gender-based violence in the workplace. Other speakers referred to efforts at the national level to create mechanisms or institutions, such as women’s committees in trade unions or a national committee on women mandated to protect the rights of women. 22. Speakers presented tools and research to address violence and harassment in the world of work, such as a handbook compiling lessons learned and emerging good practices to address violence against women in the world of work, developed jointly by UN-Women and ILO. 5 The International Development Law Organization had conducted research on women working in the justice system and found that such women, including women judges and prosecutors, also faced gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace. 23. Speakers actively raised questions on how to eliminate violence and harassment against women in the world of work and sought the views of the panellists on how to protect and build the capacity of women facing intersecting forms of discrimination, such as young women, domestic workers and women working in the informal sector; effective measures for awareness-raising, including for young women; how to protect women in public work; how to address underlying factors within institutional and work cultures to prevent violence and harassment; how to create a space where both men and women could speak up against violence and harassment; the roles of United Nations country teams and other intergovernmental organizations in providing technical cooperation and capacitybuilding to combat violence and harassment; the roles of global, regional, national, 2 3 4 5 See Safe at Home. Safe at Work (May 2017). Available from www.law.cornell.edu/sites/www.law.cornell.edu/files/women-andjustice/CARICOM-Model-Legislation-on-Sexual-Harassment.pdf. See www.ilo.org/asia/projects/WCMS_632458/lang--en/index.htm. See Addressing Violence and Harassment against Women in the World of Work (2019). 5