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10 December, 2025As the 16 days of activism come to a close, I am always struck by the powerful work we’ve seen taken by our affiliates around the world. These 16 days are not a symbolic gesture within our movement, they turn awareness into action that actually changes workplaces.
By Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary
This year, unions across industries and continents confronted gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in all its forms, including one of the fastest-growing and most insidious: technological violence. They organized, educated, bargained, trained and amplified the voices of survivors.
Here are just a few exampled of actions taken by our affilites this year that remind us why we fight and why we must continue.
Armenia: leading on digital violence and C190 implementation
The Republican Branch Union of Industry Workers of Armenia joined UNiTE to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls campaign with a powerful seminar bringing together 19 member unions.
The Republican Branch Union of Trade Union Organizations of Industry Workers of Armenia
They raised the alarm on technology-facilitated harassment, online threats, stalking, dissemination of personal information and linked their work directly to Armenia’s recent ratification of ILO Convention 190. Their commitment to updating policies, building awareness and creating safe digital workspaces sets an important precedent for the region.
Pakistan: strengthening awareness and worker engagement
In Pakistan, affiliates held discussions and meetings with workers and members to shed light on GBVH. These quiet, persistent conversations, creating safe space, building trust, breaking silence, are the foundation on which stronger reporting mechanisms and safer workplaces are built.
Germany: tackling harassment with a bold, systemic campaign
IGBCE’s survey revealed alarming statistics:
- 1 in 5 women experienced sexual harassment at work.
- 20% of all respondents knew of at least one case in their workplace.
KlarkantIGBCE
Their response was the powerful KlarkantIGBCE campaign, declaring zero tolerance for sexism and sexual harassment. They created tools for workers, support for works councils, model bargaining clauses, surveys and awareness measures integrated throughout their own events and staff trainings.
This is how culture shifts: through clarity, courage and systemic change.
Israel: exposing technological violence and elevating survivor voices
Na’amat, the women’s movement of the Histadrut, dedicated its annual conference to technological violence against women, from AI-generated intimate images to digital surveillance and coercive control.
Expert testimonies highlighted how violence evolves with technology and why protections must evolve too.
Activist Shira Isakov
One of the most powerful contributions came from domestic violence survivor and activist Shira Isakov, who bravely shared her story of surviving an attempted murder and choosing life. Her courage, turning trauma into activism and legislative advocacy, embodies the power and resilience of women workers everywhere.
Mexico: SITIMM advancing leadership, prevention and collective bargaining
In Mexico, the metal, automotive and allied industries union SITIMM implemented a multi-layered approach during the 16 days:
Continuing its Diplomado de Desarrollo y Liderazgo de la Mujer Trabajadora, integrating GBVH, leadership and empowerment into long-term training for women workers.
Publishing posters across 170 workplaces where SITIMM holds collective agreements, ensuring every worker sees the message that violence and harassment have no place at work.
Introducing demands in their bargaining proposals to include gender-responsive protocols and immediate-response mechanisms in all collective agreements.
This is union power in action: education, awareness and binding commitments through collective bargaining.
Together, these actions show the strength of our movement
Across Armenia, Pakistan, Germany, Israel and Mexico, affiliates took action that reflects the core of our mission:
- Raising awareness on GBVH
- Supporting and centring survivors
- Challenging technological and digital violence
- Strengthening reporting and prevention mechanisms
- Demanding gender-responsive collective agreements
- Training workers and leaders
- Implementing and promoting ILO Convention 190
Many used IndustriALL’s own tools, including our GBVH Toolkit, C190 bargaining guide and our sectoral equality materials, demonstrating how shared resources can feed collective strength.
But today is not a conclusion. It is a recommitment
GBVH does not end on 10 December.
Survivors do not stop needing support.
Workplace inequality does not pause.
The end of the 16 days should strengthen our resolve to work even harder:
- to push for full implementation of C190,
- to integrate gender-responsive OSH systems,
- to secure protections in collective agreements,
- to ensure safe digital and physical workspaces,
- and to amplify women’s leadership across our industries.
To our affiliates: you are shaping the future of safe work
Your actions, in training halls, factories, universities, conference rooms, union offices and digital spaces, are changing the lives of women workers.
You are proving, every day, that violence is not inevitable.
Silence is not acceptable.
And unions are essential.
As we close this year’s 16 days of activism, I want to say this clearly:
We are not done.
We are not backing down.
And we will not stop until every woman, in every workplace, everywhere, is safe and free from violence and harassment.