WOMEN AND YOUTH DEPARTMENT

The department has continued to carry out activities on and for women and youth as stipulated in the Gender and Youth Policies of Congress. In addition, it had responded to current or emerging issues on gender and young workers as approved by Congress. It may be recalled that the 2020 Year Planner outlined the specific programmes and events for the year and those for the first quarter were successfully implemented while the second quarter activities were adversely affected by the lockdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, we were able to adapt to the new ways and carried out some online or virtual activities using existing WhatsApp platforms and Zoom.

WORKSHOP ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT (GBV&H) IN THE WORLD OF WORK: 25th-27th February, 2020

The three-day workshop on Gender Based Violence and Harassment (GBV&H) in the World of Work in collaboration with the Solidarity Centre took place in Abuja from the 25th -27th February, 2020. There were 37 participants drawn from the private, public and informal sector affiliate unions, selected civil society groups, NGOs and media representatives. The main objectives included the following:

  • Awareness creation on issues of gender-based violence in the World of Work
  • Popularisation of the new ILO Convention 190: Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work
  • Sensitization of women trade unionists, gender activists, relevant NGOs and the Media on advocacy strategies and the need to strengthen the Campaign for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 etc.

Issues raised/Recommendations towards the ratification of the ILO C190:

  1. The participants appreciated the NLC for being in the fore front of the struggle for the ratification of the ILO Convention 190. They appealed to the Congress to collaborate with relevant civil society groups to sustain the campaign and called on Nigeria to be the second country in the world after Uruguay and to set the pace in Africa by being the first on the continent to ratify the Convention.
  2. The National Women Commission was called upon to strengthen the advocacy, popularize the Convention and create public awareness on GBV&H during the celebration of the 2020 International Women’s Day.
  3. There is the urgent need to follow up with the other stakeholders; the government through the Ministry of Labour as well as the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association.
  4. The importance of data collection on specific GBV&H and related issues in the workplace was emphasized and the Solidarity Centre was call upon to support the training for selected women workers from the public, private and informal sectors in collaboration with the NLC
  5. The use of both conventional and social media to promote gender issues.
  6. The participants appealed to the affiliate unions of Congress to mainstream issues of GBV&H in trade union education and adopt workplace sexual harassment policies.

2020 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: 08 MARCH

The International Women’s Day was successfully celebrated. The actual date was on Sunday, March 08 and it was observed by a Roundtable Media Campaign which intensified the advocacy towards the ratification of the C190 as recommended by the National Women Commission of Congress. And on Monday March 09, there was a rally to create public awareness on violence and harassment in the world of work. Advocacy letters were presented to the other stakeholders and the main highlights of the celebration are as listed below:

1.  Roundtable Discussion and Press Conference

March 08 being the real date of the International Women’ Day was marked with a Roundtable Discussion, Press Conference and Rally. And even though it fell on a Sunday, there was a large turn-out of workers especially women and all the invited guest and partners. The Congress leadership was represented by the General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja. The following organisations attended and presented Solidarity Messages:

  • International Labour Organisation (ILO)
  • Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA)
  • ActionAid Nigeria
  • Fredrich Ebert Stiftung (FES)
  • ILAW
  • CISLAC
  • TUC Nigeria

2.  Advocacy Rally on the 09th March, 2020:

This was to reiterate the need for Nigeria to ratify C190 and Public Enlightenments on GBV&H in the World of Work. Advocacy visits and letters of demands were submitted to:

  1. Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment
  2. Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development
  3. First Lady of Nigeria through her Senior Special Assistance
  4. Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA)

PROPOSED NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE: SEPTEMBER 2020

The current leadership of the NLC National Youth Committee will expire in September 2020 as they were elected in September 2016. The department had adequately included the proposed Youth Conference and Election in the activities to be carried out by the Congress which has been captured in the approved 2020 Year Planner.