Read this article in:
English
24 November, 2025From 25 November to 10 December, IndustriALL joins the United Nations’ UNiTE campaign for the 16 Days of Activism, this year under the theme: “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.”Every woman and girl in our industries, in our unions and across our societies has the right to live, organize and work without violence, offline or online. This is non-negotiable. Digital spaces have become as central to work as the factory floor, yet they have also become a frontline for misogyny, harassment and attacks on women trade unionists, activists and leaders.
A rising threat: online misogyny is shaping violence in the real world
The explosion of digital violence, sharing personal information, cyberstalking, hate speech, image-based abuse, gendered disinformation, is not a fringe issue. It is a structural one, rooted in the same unequal power relations, patriarchal norms and misogyny that drive violence in the workplace and in communities.
A global study reveals that 58 per cent of girls and young women have experienced online harassment,while 44 per cent of the world’s women and girls live in countries without any legal protection reinforcing a culture of impunity.
At IndustriALL’s Women’s Conference, held just days before Congress in Sydney, women delegates raised the alarm: the rapid normalisation of online hate is directly harming women workers' safety, silencing their voices and weakening their ability to participate fully in unions and public life. The testimonies underscored one truth, online violence is workplace violence.
IndustriALL’s Congress makes a historic commitment
At the 4th Congress in Sydney, affiliates made it clear that through the new Action Plan that fighting all forms of discrimination, violence and harassment, including GBVH, misogyny and sexism, is central to our mission as a global union.
Congress adopted a powerful feminist resolution that demands:
- Institutionalised GBVH prevention and response in collective agreements, workplace policies and national labour frameworks.
- Greater participation of women in decision-making across unions and industries.
- Survivor-centred, gender-sensitive reporting systems grounded in safety, dignity and accountability.
- Strong resistance to the global anti-feminist backlash, including rising authoritarian repression and right-wing attacks threatening gender equality and hard-won rights.
- Intersectional, gender-transformative approaches rooted in the lived realities of women workers.
This political commitment reflects years of work by women in IndustriALL and its affiliates and a growing recognition that gender-based violence and harassment, including digital forms, undermines everything unions fight for: freedom, equality, democracy and justice.
Our affiliates are already leading: good practices from around the world
Across regions, IndustriALL affiliates continue to transform workplaces by tackling GBVH through collective bargaining, education, organizing and advocacy.
| IndustriALL women's report | |||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH | GERMAN | JAPANESE | ARABIC |
Some examples from the Women’s Report 2019–2025 include:
Indonesia: safe houses and zero-tolerance policies
After years of coordination and lobbying by IndustriALL’s Indonesia women’s committee, the Ministry introduced safe house policies in industrial zones, offering secure spaces for women to report cases and receive training. Unions negotiated zero-tolerance GBVH clauses implemented in over 90 factories.
Tunisia: a new centre for women’s safety and empowerment
A centre jointly run by IndustriALL and the FGTHCC-UGTT now provides women workers with training, support and a safe environment to report violence or harassment.
Global ratification of ILO Convention 190
Over 50 countries have ratified the ILO C190. IndustriALL and its affiliates have played a major role in the campaigns leading to ILO C190 ratification in countries including Uruguay, Nigeria, Peru and Argentina, a foundation for addressing all forms of violence and harassment in the world of work, including digital abuse.
These achievements demonstrate what unions can accomplish when they mobilize and why the 16 days are a crucial moment to accelerate this work.
Digital violence is a union issue and unions have the tools to fight it
IndustriALL’s policy on GBVH, misogyny and sexism, adopted in 2023, provides clear guidance for affiliates on preventing violence and shifting entrenched norms. Digital abuse is embedded throughout this policy, including its bargaining recommendations and leadership accountability mechanisms.
Unions can act by:
- Negotiating workplace policies that prohibit online harassment and digital abuse.
- Integrating digital GBVH into OSH systems and risk assessments, aligned with ILO C190.
- Providing training for workers and especially young members on recognising, reporting and preventing digital violence.
- Ensuring safe, confidential reporting mechanisms and survivor-centred support.
- Advocating for strong national legislation and enforcement.
- Working with civil society and tech accountability campaigns to hold platforms and companies responsible.
Digital tools must empower, not endanger. And unions must be at the centre of that transformation.
A subtle echo from Sydney: power, solidarity, momentum
At the Women’s Conference, women from all regions, young workers, leaders, organizers and first-time delegates, shared experiences of online and offline violence. The emotion was unmistakable, but so was the collective strength.
The message they carried into Congress was clear:
Unions must adapt, stand stronger, bargain smarter and confront the digital dimension of GBVH with the same determination we bring to the shop floor.
The 16 Days of Activism offer affiliates a chance to build on that momentum
“Digital violence is real violence. It follows women home, into their workplaces, onto their phones and into every space where they dare to lead. Across our movement, refuse to be silenced. The commitments made in Sydney are powerful, but they only come alive when unions act. During these 16 Days, I call on every affiliate to take a clear stand: negotiate protections, strengthen reporting systems, educate members and make our digital spaces safe. Ending violence is not optional. It is the path to justice, equality and democracy and our unions must lead the way,”
says Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary
Join the 16 Days: take action, share your voice, mobilize
IndustriALL calls on all affiliates to actively take part in the 16 Days of Activism, starting 25 November.
What you can do:
- Organize trainings, workshops, communications, workplace actions.
- Share good practices and testimonies.
- Promote ILO C190 and your bargaining achievements.
- Highlight digital violence as a workplace and union issue.
- Share your photos and actions using the hashtag #NoExcuse and #ALLwomen
Campaign materials and resources:
UN Women UNiTE Campaign Theme Page: click here
IndustriALL Women’s Conference summary: click here
IndustriALL training and resources on GBVH (ILO C190 toolkits, briefings, modules) click here