ILO Convention 190 which was adopted on 21 June 2019 concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work is currently having its first anniversary. The ILO Convention 190 anniversary occurs in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic which forced people all around the world to stay at home for a long time. However, many people especially workers are not able to work from home or they even get terminated. There is also an increase of gender-based violence cases significantly in many countries. 

Chidi King as the Equality Director in International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) explains that many of the workers have lost their jobs and or not having the privilege to stay at home during this pandemic. Moreover, the amount of gender-based violence cases has increased significantly. Some of the medical and social workers, which 70% of it are women, experienced harassment verbally and physically. Some women find Work from Home (WfH) is not easy for them since they have to both work and take care of their families at the same time. We also need to recognize that WfH is difficult to be done by the victim or survivor of domestic violence.

Harassment and violence, especially sexual harassment and violence, mostly need to be proven by doctor certificate which is unlikely to cover the harassment or violence by verbal or mental. Whereas, ILO Convention 190 defines violence and harassment as a range of unacceptable behavior and practices or threats thereof, in a single occurrence or repeated that aim and result in physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm. That amplifies the urgency to ratify ILO Convention 190 whether in time of prosperity and in time of crisis. 

Uruguay became the first country to ratify ILO Convention 190 which was later followed by Fiji. In Fiji, ILO Convention 190 has been unanimously supported by Fiji’s Members of the Parliament on 28 Mei 2020 and supported by the Prime Minister, Attorney General, oppositions, and others. Samoa, Vanuatu, Thailand, and Timor Leste have started or planned to undertake a pre-ratification analysis. Indonesia is one of the countries that have expressed a general interest to work on the issue or ratify ILO Convention 190 in the next future with Bangladesh, Kamboja, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, and Vietnam. Moreover, Indonesia has raised the issue of ILO Convention 190 ratification to the parliaments.