Director-General, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Guy Ryder, said on Friday that ending violence against women was about guaranteeing their basic right and liberating them from the ties of prejudice.

Ryder said this in a message to commemorate this year International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

He said that violence and harassment might prevent women from entering the labour market, especially in male-dominated sectors and jobs.

“When a woman is harassed, humiliated or assaulted at work, the very notion of decent work for all is jeopardised.

“The ILO will continue its work until the world of work is free from violence. “When a woman comes to work bruised in body and spirit, we must all take a stand,” he said.

The DG said it was regrettable that workers, particularly women, are at risk when they are expected to provide sexual services or endure harassment in exchange for getting a job or promotion.

He also said that women were disproportionately represented in low-wage jobs, especially in the lower tiers of the supply chain.

“They are also subject to discrimination, sexual violence and other forms of workplace violence and harassment. “Violence and harassment cannot be considered part of the job, neither for women nor for men,” Ryder said.

He advised governments to focus on transforming gender stereotypes and unequal power relations between men and women that underpin such violence.

Meanwhile, some workers in Lagos have supported the call by the ILO to eliminate violence in work places and urged all stakeholders to take a stand against it, adding in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

A gender activist, Ms Maltida Ogundele, said that assault against women should be eliminated to protect lives and save many homes.

“As a single mother, I escaped from my home because of the constant battering, humiliation and assault both at home and on the street,” Ogundele said.

The gender activist said that government at all levels must take action to protect women against domestic and various kinds of violence.

A civil servant, Mrs Nkeiru Okafor, said that gender violence was a challenge that has led to death and maiming of many women across the country.

Okafor said that continuous campaigns and enlightenment should be done to prevent or warn men against molesting or humiliating women, not only at home but in work places.