The Department of Labor hosted leaders from the International Labor Organization, along with international, federal, state, and local government officials and stakeholders at its Washington headquarters on June 18. The gathering marked the first Women’s Bureau summit aimed at discussing collective efforts to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
Attended by more than 350 participants both in-person and online, the event titled “Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Focus: A Summit to Create an Equitable World of Work” coincided with the first anniversary of the Biden-Harris administration’s release of the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su provided pre-recorded remarks, while Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon delivered opening comments. "The resurgence of the #MeToo movement in 2017 raised to our collective consciousness about just how pervasive gender-based violence and harassment is in our communities, including in our places of work," said Chun-Hoon. "Today’s summit will focus on the importance of identifying, responding to, and preventing gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work in order to create safe and healthy workplaces for all workers… But today’s Summit is just the beginning. We need widespread change in order to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment in our places of work."
Panelists discussed how the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and principles from ILO Convention 190 can provide a framework for preventing and addressing gender-based violence and harassment in the U.S.; how such issues are safety and health concerns; and how worker-led movements are essential for eliminating these problems.
Federal representatives, policy experts, and advocates who spoke at the summit included:
- Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Amanda Edens
- Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health James Frederick
- Associate Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Molly McCoy
- Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women Director Rosie Hidalgo
- ILO Office for U.S. and Canada Director Amber Barth
- ILO Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Branch Chief Chidi King
- Canadian Department of Employment and Social Development Director Rakesh Patry
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Vice Chair Jocelyn Samuels
- Senior Advisor to the White House Gender Policy Council Catherine Powell
- Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA Executive Vice President Linda Powell
- Partner at Accelerate Strategies Mana Shim
- President and Founder of Justice for Migrant Women Mónica Ramírez
In-person attendees later participated in breakout sessions focused on strategies to advance efforts against gender-based violence in workplaces.
A recording of “Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Focus: A Summit to Create an Equitable World of Work” is available for viewing.
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