ActionAid makes case for women against gender based violence at work places

As part of its campaign aimed at promoting fair wages and reward for women, as well as ensuring social protection for the informal sector workers, ActionAid Nigeria has expressed concern against gender-based violence of women at work places.

It’s Director of Programme, Ms. Tasallah Chibok, during a protest of women in Abuja said that women working in the informal sector, such as street vendors, domestic workers, women in construction work and home-based workers receive little or no employment benefits at all and are even more susceptible to violence by a whole range of actors.

She lamented that many industries where women make up most of the workforce are populated by profit-driven companies who pay the lowest wages and have the worst records of work place protection.

The 100-person march was on women’s labour, decent work and gender-responsive public service, with the theme, “Fair’s Fair”, started at 41 Crescent, 4th Avenue, and terminated at first avenue, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

The protesters carried various placards with inscriptions like, ‘Women deserves equal wages and rewards as men on the same job’, ‘Together we must stop gender-based violence against women at work’, ‘Safe, secure and violence-free workplace is a right of every woman’, ‘Nigeria’s informal sector is unregulated and it affects women negatively’, among others.

The campaign, organised by ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with her youth movement  Activista Nigeria, was also aimed at mobilising young people on issues like women and girls’ rights and social justice.

Chibok said: “Work-places like quarry, constructions, entertainment and catering, garment/fast-fashion and agriculture are all repeat offenders when it comes to dangerous and undignified working conditions, experienced by women.

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