Millions of women and men are having significant problems connected with education and employment opportunities, forced into certain occupations, or paid less than what they are worth simply because of their disability, ethnicity, or indigenous or tribal affiliation. The discrimination that specific categories of people, such as women, ethnic or racial minorities, and migrants, face in the labor market seriously increases their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse, including in the form of forced labor.
An important starting point for overcoming discrimination is equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. Successful promotion of equality in the labor market, however, depends on the active participation of workers’ organizations, employers, and other stakeholders. Freedom from discrimination is one of the most important rights for workers to freely choose their workplace, develop their full potential, and receive decent wages. Ensuring equality in the workplace also has significant economic benefits. Employers who respect this principle have access to a more effective and diverse workforce. With equality, workers have more training opportunities and are often paid more, which generally improves the quality of the force (Taylor & Perkins, 2021). In an equal society, the fruits of economic globalization are distributed more equitably, increasing social stability and public support for further economic development initiatives.
Combating discrimination is a critical component of decent work, and its success is felt far beyond the workplace. Virtually all of the ILO’s work is linked to it. For example, by promoting freedom of association, the ILO seeks to prevent discrimination against union members and leadership. Programs to combat forced and child labor involve helping women and girls who are sexually exploited or forced into domestic work. Non-discrimination is also a central principle of the ILO code of ethics on HIV/AIDS at work. In matters of labor law, the ILO recommendations contain provisions on discrimination (Taylor & Perkins, 2021). Violence and harassment as a severe form of discrimination is also a concern for the ILO and its constituents, as recently stated in the Tripartite Expert Meeting. Moreover, it is discussed every year at the International Labour Conference with a view to adopting a relevant convention and recommendation.
In the field of labor, a number of problems still impede the achievement of gender equality, one of which is the existence of a significant gender gap (which has changed slightly over the past 20 years) in the number and quality of jobs, as measured by access to employment opportunities, wages, social protection, and occupational segregation. Women are more prioritized than men for being unemployed, with unemployment being a particular problem for young women (Taylor & Perkins, 2021). Women still predominate in unpaid work and care services, where their working hours, including paid and unpaid work, are often longer than those of men. Achieving gender equality requires closing this gap, including unpaid and undervalued female labor, by redistributing family care responsibilities and equal pay for work of equal value.
On the other hand, there is a perception that there is currently no inequality between genders in hiring because women have equalized with men in terms of job search and wages. This is primarily due to recent events in the world and the popularization of the struggle for women’s rights. However, it is crucial to understand that this is only one part of the fight against inequality, and it is vital to take into account that this process is still in its early stages, and it will take some time to be able to establish the validity of this judgment.
Reference
Taylor, S., & Perkins, G. (2021). Work and employment in a changing business environment. Kogan Page.