Gathered in view of Cape Town’s Table Mountain, twenty of us bundled into a conference room in Rayes to consider how we can press for the application of ILO Convention 190 (C190) that requires signatory states to guarantee workers protection from violence and harassment in the workplace. 

The event was organised by the Council of Global Unions LGBTI Working Group, as a prologue to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) World Conference. It brings together 2,000 organisations from 170 countries.  

Most of us, drawn from Southern African unions, must conceal our sexual identities in our home countries, where legal and social hostility to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people is widespread. 

even though some African unions oppose the application of C190 to LGBTQI+ workers, our job is to show everyone how this Convention can be used to protect us all

Our workshop was led by a charismatic and knowledgeable researcher, Nina Benjamin. 

“The workshop aims to bring LGBTQ+ workers on board with ILO C190, which is intended to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work,”  said Benjamin. “We are targeting African workers to participate in our campaign because even though some African unions oppose the application of C190 to LGBTQI+ workers, our job is to show everyone how this Convention can be used to protect us all”. 

Other participants in the workshop echoed Benjamin’s sentiments, with many sharing stories of prejudice, harassment and legal impediments. One, Michael Ndholvu*, a gay man from Zimbabwe, explained how his country’s sodomy laws are applied. They criminalise same-sex relations, and make it impossible for his own union to campaign for LGBTQI+ workers’ rights. 

Ndholvu added that when LGBTQI+ workers or the community wish to meet, they often use code words to keep their activities secret. Gay and Lesbians Zimbabwe (GALZ), an organization that advocates for LGBTQI+ rights in the country, has had its business sign poster ripped off from their front gate. 

Ndholvu’s testimony was echoed by many others from Southern African countries, where same-sex marriage is either not recognized or criminalised. In Namibia, for example, the heads of the LGBTQ+ community endure a state of permanent threat. The country’s National Council and the National Assembly both passed what are referred to as the “Ekandjo” Bills, that would criminalise same-sex marriage by enforcing fines of up to N$100,000  or up to six years’ imprisonment. These provisions have yet to be signed into law by the President – but could be at any moment. 

Amid such troubling accounts, I was encouraged that my country is among the first African states to ratify C190. There was also much to inspire at the workshop, with many moments of transcendence described. The manual provided as part of the training includes a helpful route map for action and I will now seek a place among my union’s leadership, to ensure a proper hearing for the voice of a lesbian woman. 

Some of my fellow Southern African sisters who identify as lesbians find themselves shunned by fellow women. This might happen when taking a shower after a long shift at the mine or being forced to wear a dress while they are masculine-presenting. The challenges for those of us working in newsrooms might not be quite so stark, but they are nonetheless real. 

Many of us have felt isolated at work, and wondered if others shared issues. Thinking about this, I was reminded of a phrase shared by a Lebanese trans woman at the Conference who felt isolated because of  the absence of Middle Eastern voices at ILGA. “Look for us, and you will find us.” 

Our event convinced me that C190 is a valuable tool that will enable us to speak up for minorities and those who have been relegated to the periphery. A world of work free from violence and discrimination is possible, but it won’t be won without collective effort. Hope sees the invisible and achieves the impossible.

The author asked for her name to be withheld.

* name changed so that identity is not revealed.