manual: women workers' rights and gender equality - International ...

International Labour Standards: a set of conventions and recommendations, which constitute
the normative context of ILO action concerning women and men workers.
Declarations and Resolutions: concerning ILO gender-specific action, which define the key
areas to combat discrimination against women and the priority issues to be addressed by the ILO.
International Labour Standards
Setting international labour standards has been one of the principal means of the ILO since its
creation in 1919 to promote social justice in the world of work. The International Labour
Conference adopts international labour standards, after consultation with all ILO’s member States.
The conference is a tripartite body composed of government, employers’ and workers’ delegates.
The conventions and recommendations cover practically all aspects of human labour: employment,
conditions of work, social security, industrial relations, safety and health, equal opportunities, nondiscrimination
and other workers’ rights. As of July 2000, there are 183 conventions and 193
recommendations.
Conventions:
• International treaties with binding power
• Open to ratification by ILO member States
• In ratifying a Convention, a State formally accepts the convention and is legally bound to apply
it
• The country will, if necessary, adopt new laws and regulations or modify the existing legislation
and practice
• The country must apply the convention not only in law, but also in practice
Recommendations:
• Not open to ratification
• Lay down general or technical guidelines to be applied within countries
• Often supplement conventions
Four main ILO conventions that are crucial for gender equality promotion are:
No. 100: Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
No. 111: Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958
No. 156: Workers with Family Responsibilities, 1981
No. 183: Maternity Protection, 2000
Declarations and Resolutions
Other policy instruments are declarations and resolutions. The Declaration of Philadelphia,
adopted during the International Labour Conference held in 1944 in Philadelphia, USA redefined
the aims and purposes of the ILO. This Declaration includes the following principles:
• Labour is not a commodity
• Freedom of expression and of association is essential to sustained progress
• Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere
• All human beings, whatever their race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material
well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic
security and equal opportunity
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