About us
Gender Platform Bangladesh, an alliance of national and international human rights and labor organizations, was formed in 2016 with the aim to ensure the safety of workers, especially women workers in the workplace. National and international human rights and labour organizations who agree with and adhere to the Gender Platform are playing active roles as members of the Platform. At present, the honorary members of this alliance are Awaz Foundation, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA), IndustryAll Bangladesh Council, and Karmojibi Nari. Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) is currently acting as the Secretariat of Gender Platform Bangladesh.
Since its inception, the Platform has started drafting the “Sexual Harassment Prevention Act at Workplace” to ensure a harassment-free work environment in factories/institutions in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Hon’ble High Court in 2009 to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and in educational institutions.
The draft law has been consulted more than once with the garment factory management authority, trade unions, general workers, teachers-students, NGOs, civil society, and government representatives to seek their views and the draft has been amended/added/subtracted accordingly. Subsequently, the Gender Platform Bangladesh tried to convince the government for initiatives to enact laws through advocacy and the draft law was submitted to the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 12 September 2018.
In order to form a committee to prevent sexual harassment in all workplaces including mills and factories, the members of the platform are engaged in various advocacy and campaigns including research, awareness publications, mass signature programs, day observations, data collection, and analysis, protest against harassment and torture. Multi-purpose activities are also being conducted in the garment factories to ensure a women-friendly working environment.
The Gender Platform is implementing various activities from the field level to the national level to play an effective role in protecting the equality and rights of workers working in the formal and informal sectors. In October 2021, the platform also organized exchange meetings with the ‘Trade Union Leaders of the National Tripartite Consultative Council’ and ‘Private / Civil Society Representatives Working on Labor Rights Issues’.
This webinar is organized by Gender Platform ahead of the 2nd part of the 109th session of the International Labor Conference held in November-December 2021. Our expectation is that the government of Bangladesh, the employers, the workers, and all concerned will reach a conformation and play an integrated role in preventing harassment of women in all areas, on the basis of important views and directions of all.
Mission
Working together with human rights and labour organizations to create a work environment that is free of violence and sexual harassment, and ensures dignity for all.
Vision
Ensuring The Equitable Work Environment.
Objectives
Initiate and implement various programs to ensure an equitable and women-friendly working environment.
Advocacy with the government on the formulation and implementation of the "Sexual Harassment Prevention Act at Workplace" to ensure a work environment free of sexual harassment and violence in factories/establishments.
Conducting awareness activities in the factories/establishments to comply with the directions of the Hon'ble High Court before the enactment of the Act.
To play an important role to form and implementing sexual harassment prevention committees in factories/institutions as per the judgment of the Hon'ble High Court before the enactment of the law.
Conducting and publishing research, case studies; preparation, and dissemination of awareness materials to create a women-friendly and harassment-free work environment.
Formation of committees at divisional/regional level in industrial areas to increase the scope of work of Gender Platform.
Parnter Details(alphabetically)
Awaj Foundation
Awaj Foundation is a grassroots labour rights NGO with over 600,000 worker members across Bangladesh.The NGO was established in 2003 out of the urgent need to protect workers’ rights in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. Founded by former child worker and labour organizer Nazma Akter, Awaj Foundation is driven by the vision of decent work, dignified lives and gender equity in the industrial sectors of Bangladesh. Through our projects, services, research and advocacy, we aim to empower workers and enable harmonious industrial relations. We particularly focus on supporting women workers, because we believe that leadership from women can transform our society towards greater equity and justice.
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies–BILS, the only labour institute in Bangladesh, has been working on labour issues since its inception in 1995. BILS endeavours to uphold the causes of working people and the Trade Unions of Bangladesh. 12 major National Trade Union federations of Bangladesh are associated with BILS. Keeping in view to build a just and democratic society and enabling the workers’ organizations to play an appropriate role as a major force, BILS emphasizes on capacity building of the Trade Unions through training, research and information sharing. Protecting workers’ rights is the main objective of BILS and it strives to promote just and worker-friendly policies and Laws in Bangladesh. It also plays a catalyst role in bridging trade unions, civil society and the government on labour market issues.
Bangladesh Labour Foundation
Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) is a non-government; non-profit; non-partisan organization represents the interest of the working people in Bangladesh. BLF works for the welfare of workers, working people, professionals, women, children, employee and families by undertaking various programs and projects. We share a common determination to organize, to defend human rights and labour standards in Bangladesh, and to promote the growth of trade unions for the benefit of all working men and women and their families. BLF is committed to protect of the rights of all workers, create a productive and economic independent society that’s free from poverty, discrimination and where people can exercise their basic social and human rights, social justice through activities that focus on youth and women, children and working people of Bangladesh. BLF established in 2001 and Registered with NGO Affairs Bureau, Department of Social Welfare and Directorates of Youth and Sports.
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA)
IndustriALL Global Union
Karmojibi Nari
Fair Wear Foundation (FWF)
FWF is a non-profit organisation that works with garment brands, factories, trade unions, NGOs and governments to improve working conditions for garment workers in 11 production countries across Asia, Europe and Africa. FWF has a Capacity Building programme on Anti-harassment Committee and Violence Prevention in Bangladesh that aim to building effective factory systems for workplace communications and violence prevention. The programme focuses especially on developing internal systems to prevent violence and enhance communication systems for women workers in Bangladesh. FWF is the part of the alliance called “Gender Platform” formed by six local organizations (Awaj Foundation, Karmajibi Nari, BNWLA, BLF, BILS, and IBC) who are local partners of Mondial FNV and FWF. And “Gender Platform” strongly involved in consultation, lobby & advocacy for enacting Law on Prevention and Protection of Sexual Harassment and ratifying ILC 190 by the Government.
