Workplace Discrimination: a picture of hope and concern

By ILO

Workplace discrimination remains a persistent global problem, with new, more subtle forms emerging.

There has been significant progress but new forms area cause for concern. So says a new ILO report, Time for Equality at Work.

"Every day around the world, discrimination at work is an unfortunate reality for hundreds of millions of people" said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia (recently re-elected).

The report lays the blame for continuing discrimination on prejudices, stereotypes and biased institutions that have resisted decades of legal efforts and policy measures undertaken by governments, workers, and employers against unequal treatment at work. The report shows that many who suffer from discrimination - especially on the basis of their sex or colour - face a persistent "equality gap" that divides them from dominant groups who enjoy a better life, or even from their own peers who have benefited from anti-discrimination laws and policies. Sex discrimination is the most persistent and prevalent. Religious discrimination has increased and discrimination on the basis of disability is seen as likely to increase as the populations age. HIV/AIDS based discrimination is a growing concern, particularly for women.

(World of Work. no. 47, June 2003)