November 25 - Introduction

Welcome to the Servicewomen’s Salute Blog for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. 

Every day from November 25 to December 10^th (the duration of the campaign), we will be posting blogposts on this Medium page, connecting the campaign to our mandate. 

But before we delve deeper on why the Servicewomen’s Salute team has decided to take part of the campaign, let us provide you with some more background information.

The first 16 Days Campaign of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (16 Days Campaign or Campaign from here on) has started in 1991, and was coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership(CWGL), a body within the School of Arts and Science at Rutgers University. 28 years later, the 16 Days Campaign involves more than 6,000 organisations in over 180 countries.

The CWGL did not chose the dates of the Campaign randomly. November 25 (today) is the International Day against Violence against Women, and December 10 is International Human Rights Day. With this campaign, the CWGL wanted to connect these two dates to underline that women’s rights are human rights. This claim seems evident, but reality draws a much different picture. Women and girls continue to be target of specific types of violence: women and girls are victims of higher rates of infanticide, of sexual harassment and rape; they are the specific targets of honours killings; trans women of colour are disproportionately victims of violent murder in the United States; abortion rights are under attack around the world; and too many women have yet to enjoy the same rights as their men counterparts. Raising awareness about and advocating for women’s rights, including freedom from violence, is still needed to advance women’s basic human rights.

The theme of the Campaign’s 2019 edition is “Time’s Up! Hold Governments to their Promises.” This theme extends from the 2018 Campaign’s, “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.”

Thanks to tremendous advocacy work of feminist and labour organisations, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), an agency created in 1919 and absorbed by the United Nations in 1945 whose goal is to bring “together governments, employers, and workers of 187 members states, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men,” passed ILO C190 on June 21, 2019.

ILO C190, also known as the Violence and Harassment Convention, recognizes that “violence and harassment in the world of work can constitute a human rights violation or abuse, and that violence and harassment is a threat to equal opportunities, is unacceptable and incompatible with decent work.” The Convention includes wide definitions of what constitute violence and harassment (and includes gender-based violence, a worker, and the workplace. We will explore these definitions tomorrow for the next blogpost, as they will help to explain why Servicewomen’s Salute is taking on this initiative to raise awareness on gender-based violence in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

ILO C190 not only has the broad mandate of eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace, it also provides guidance to governments on how to march towards this goal. In addition, the ILO passed R206, which contains further guidelines on how governments can fully implement ILO C190. R206 is meant to “supplement” to convention and “should be considered in conjunction.” 

All ILO members countries have signed C190, including Canada. But none have ratified it yet. Hence the theme of this year’s Campaign: “Time’s Up! Hold Governments to their Promises.” Whether it is gender-based violence or any type of violence and harassment in the world of work, governments have a role to play in making each and every worker safer. But nothing much happens when they are not held to account. Accountability is the role of every citizen.

In the end, the goal of the Campaign is to start raising awareness for citizen to push for the ratification of ILO C190 in their own countries. We will contribute to that effort here in Canada.

So, throughout the Campaign, from today until December 10, Servicewomen’s Salute will show you why you should care about ILO C190 and R206, and why the Canadian Armed Forces should care about it and should be considered under its umbrella when the government of Canada ratifies it.

Essentially, the team will explore all aspects of ILO C190 and R206 and its implications for Canada and its military. We will discuss gender-based violence in broad and narrow strokes, and we will show you why holding those in power accountable is a critical piece of every political and social puzzle.

We are looking forward to engaging with you throughout those 16 Days!