#ThisIsNotWorking: Sign the petition to help protect women around the world from sexual harassment in the workplace

Abuse isn’t in any woman’s job description

Help to make workplaces safe for women everywhere.

Almost half of women around the world experience sexual harassment at work. In Asia, that number is as high as 80 per cent. For some it’s verbal harassment and abuse, for others it’s unwanted advances or physical contact.

This is not working.

At this momentous time in history, women around the world are speaking up about sexual harassment in the workplace. CARE works in many countries where there are no laws protecting vulnerable women from sexual harassment. Now you can help change workplace harassment laws around the world.

Thank you for signing our petition

On 23 May Emma Tiaree, CARE’s Principal Executive of International Programs, presented the petition to senior advisors for Ministers Michaelia Cash and Craig Laundy in Canberra.

Signed by 4,436 fantastic Australians, the petition is part of CARE’s global campaign that has collected more than 100,000 signatures worldwide - from France and the UK to the USA and Ecuador - in advance of the ILO conference in Geneva.

There, government leaders from around the world will decide whether to create a landmark legal framework making clear that working free from violence and sexual harassment is as fundamental as the right to toilet breaks and overtime pay.

Advocacy Report

Download our report on the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace across our region.

Dear Minister Cash,

I believe no-one should be harassed and abused at work – whether in Australia or anywhere around the world.

As Minister for Jobs and Innovation, we need you to focus not just on creating jobs, but also ensuring those jobs are safe and free from violence for all workers.

I have heard too many stories of sexual harassment in the workplace; it’s happening in offices, factories, restaurants and on farms. It’s time to prevent these situations from happening and I believe change will only happen if strong global laws are in place.

Australia should be leading this change globally so binding international labour laws can benefit women around the world, as well as here in Australia.

CARE Australia wants to see the creation of new international standards that would cut out workplace violence and harassment, and I agree.

I urge you to:
• represent Australia on the global stage, at the International Labour Organisation conference in May 2018
• support stronger global laws for women in the workplace through a binding convention, and gather support from other nations
• ensure the convention benefits all working women, including those in informal workplaces such as garment factories, hospitality, entertainment and domestic settings.

Support those most vulnerable to workplace harassment

Trigger Warning: This website contains information about sexual assault and violence, which may be triggering to survivors.

"They told me I needed to have sex with the men in order to get paid."

– Alicia, Ecuador

“Guys always come up behind me and touch me without my permission.”

- Tharith, Cambodia

"He said to me, ‘Why do you dress like this? ... you are already ugly."

- Bopha, Cambodia

Everyone, everywhere has the right to work free from harassment and sexual violence. But sadly, more than one third of the world’s countries have no laws prohibiting sexual harassment at work.

This leaves nearly 235 million women vulnerable in the workplace.

Gender inequality, discrimination, sexual harassment and violence are so appallingly common that these are the most prevalent human rights abuses in the world.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has the opportunity to end this crisis by adopting an international standard on violence and harassment in the workplace – the first step to building global accountability on this issue – and changing the story for vulnerable women in countries with inadequate laws.