© FEMNET 19 November 2025 Bangladesh ratifies ILO Convention 190 - milestone against violence in the workplace At the end of October 2025, Bangladesh reached a significant milestone: The government has ratified ILO Convention No. 190, which prohibits violence and harassment in the world of work. In doing so, the country is committed to an internationally recognised intellectual property right for all workers. Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to sign this convention. Ratification was carried out jointly with ILO Conventions 155 (Health and Safety at Work) and 187 (Framework Convention on Occupational Safety and Health). For many in Bangladesh, especially women, informal workers and marginalised groups, this is a strong signal: The right to a job free from violence and harassment is internationally recognised and enshrined in law. At the same time, labour law organisations call for swift and effective implementation. They call for clearly defined complaint mechanisms, protection structures and awareness-raising measures, both in companies and at political level. In the past, FEMNET has repeatedly campaigned for the ratification of Convention C190 and initiated campaigns such as #Counterviolence against textile workers and #RatifyILO190 together with local partners. Therefore, FEMNET welcomes this important progress and also calls on other countries to consistently enshrine the ILO conventions on the protection of women workers.
