A/HRC/44/51 Ensuring freedom from violence and harassment 43. International standards recognize sexual harassment as a form of discrimination against women and a violation of human rights. New challenges stemming from technological change and continued globalization make it more urgent than ever to ensure women’s safety at work. In this respect, the adoption in 2019 of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), marks a significant advancement towards creating a world of safe and decent work for all, with a particular focus on addressing women’s experiences of violence and harassment. Discrimination based on other factors, such as pregnancy, age, race, social origin, migration status, disability, maternity, family responsibilities, sexual orientation and gender identity, may also influence how, and in what ways, women are more vulnerable to violence and harassment. Furthermore, the criminalization of women in prostitution or sex work increases their vulnerability to violence and compounds their exclusion from essential services. 44. There are a growing number of laws addressing sexual harassment, but they are often limited in their coverage and application. Women do not report sexual harassment for many reasons, including fear of reprisal, or concern that the matter will be dealt with ineffectively at best or, at worst, ignored or covered up. This has resulted in a culture of impunity for perpetrators. As the world of work changes, it is critical that women in nonstandard forms of work and informal work are covered under legislation addressing sexual harassment and other forms of violence in the workplace, and that all women workers have access to remedies and justice should they experience sexual harassment, regardless of their contract type. Regulatory frameworks should ensure employers have an obligation to take all measures to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, in line with international standards. In the context of increased fissuring of the workplace and subcontracting, there is a need to strengthen action and accountability for sexual harassment across global supply chains. New and emerging forms of ICT-facilitated violence and harassment against women in the workplace also requires regulation and accountability measures (see A/HRC/38/47). 45. A significant innovation of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), is its recognition that both employers and workers’ organizations have a role to play in responding to domestic violence as another form of violence impacting women in the workplace. This is an important shift in perspective, as domestic violence has historically been viewed as a private matter that impacts people in their homes rather than at work. The Convention provides that workers who are experiencing domestic violence have a right to support and protection in employment, that they should not be discriminated against on the basis of being a victim of domestic violence and that employers should provide flexible work, protection and leave for victims of domestic violence. Paid domestic violence leave is emerging as a promising practice among a number of Governments and employers. However, as an increasing number of women work in the gig economy and outside formal workplace arrangements, they are increasingly dislocated from such workplace support. Furthermore, with technological advances, new forms of technologyfacilitated abuse, for example monitoring and tracking women through their devices, affects women’s capacity to work and their experience of work. Box 2 Promising practices Addressing sexual harassment in global supply chains Through the investment of global clothing brands, some garment factories in South Asia have conducted training on the prevention of violence and harassment against women and men and have established workplace harassment committees. Consequently, there has been a decrease in the number of workers who report having experienced verbal harassment, psychological abuse and physical abuse, and an increase in the number of reports of sexual abuse, attributed to an increased willingness to discuss sexual abuse and growing trust in the process. 11