April 28, 2025 (press release) –
Amman (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with Jordan’s Social Security Corporation (SSC), organized a specialized training workshop on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work.
This initiative is part of national efforts to promote a safe and violence-free working environment, grounded in the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) and its recommendation (No. 206), which together offer a comprehensive global framework to address these issues.
Participants in the workshop, which was held from 13 to 15 April 2025 at a venue on the coast of the Dead Sea, included representatives from the Social Security Corporation, the Ministry of Labour, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions, and the Jordan Chamber of Industry. This diversity allowed for fruitful exchanges of experiences and strengthened joint efforts towards safer and more inclusive workplaces.
Facilitated by a team of experts from the ILO International Training Centre (ITCILO) and ILO Headquarters in Geneva, the training focused on several key areas: the fundamental principles of Convention No. 190, the link between violence and harassment and occupational safety and health (OSH), reporting and grievance mechanisms, review of internal institutional policies on protection against violence and harassment, and practical group work to design an internal electronic reporting system utilizing participatory and interactive methods and tools.
The training was inaugurated by Tareq Abu Qaoud, Better Work Jordan Programme Manager, on behalf of the ILO Country Coordinator in Jordan. He highlighted that violence and harassment in the workplace remain among the most pressing challenges facing women in particular, not only in Jordan but globally. Studies and reports show that such violations directly limit women’s economic participation. While global female labour force participation stands at around 48%, it does not exceed 18.5% in the Arab world, and in Jordan, it remains among the lowest at approximately 14%,” he noted.
He added: “ILO Convention No. 190, adopted in 2019, marked a turning point in protecting the rights of workers around the world. It is the first international instrument to recognize violence and harassment as potential violations of human rights and mandates comprehensive legislative and procedural measures for prevention, reporting, investigation, protection, and redress. It also calls for awareness-raising and institutional education to foster a genuine cultural shift in workplaces. We commend the national steps taken to improve the legal and institutional frameworks to combat violence and harassment at work, especially the recent efforts to integrate these topics into labour legislation”.
Rana Musleh, Social Insurance and International Cooperation Advisor, speaking on behalf of the Director General of the Social Security Corporation, noted during the opening remarks that the SSC's internal policy and reporting mechanism aims to create a healthy and safe work environment that respects the dignity of all employees and protects them from any inappropriate conduct that might affect their mental and physical well-being and job performance. She emphasized that these efforts are in line with the SSC’s vision, values, objectives, and strategies, and are consistent with national legislation and international standards.
She added: “The SSC is one of the first public sector institutions in Jordan to implement such a policy. Through it, we reaffirm our serious commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive workplace for all employees. The Corporation is also a pioneer in establishing clear mechanisms for reporting, response, and protection. This experience could serve as a model for other public institutions, paving the way for a safe and healthy public sector work environment across Jordan”.
Valentina Beghini, ILO Legal Specialist on Violence, Harassment, and Non-Discrimination, highlighted in her remarks: “This training marks a vital step in translating legal commitments into tangible institutional policies and actions. The dedication shown by the SSC and its partners is commendable and positions Jordan as a source of inspiration in the region. I am proud to participate in this workshop, which reflects a genuine national commitment to building safer, fairer workplaces”.
The training concluded with the development of concrete next steps for continued collaboration, including support for the launch of the electronic grievance system, building the capacity of SSC staff, and ongoing cooperation with national partners to develop effective anti-violence and harassment policies in the workplace.
This training coincided with two important international observances celebrated in April and May: the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April and International Labour Day on 1 May. These occasions serve as renewed calls by the ILO to promote safe, violence-free work environments and to affirm the fundamental right to a workplace free from violence and harassment, a principle this training directly aimed to advance.
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