The degree of identification of workplace violence based on gender

Abstract

In the broad field of labor, through both formal and informal legal relationships, many women experience workplace violence without realizing it: they do not identify behaviors that constitute this phenomenon, or they choose not to act or set boundaries for fear of dismissal, since losing their job means being unable to provide for their households. Employment relationships require women committed to their profession to devote part of their time to interacting with violent co-workers—relationships that can dismantle a healthy work environment and turn it into a hostile one. These dynamics hinder women’s professional advancement through verbal disqualification, hostility, psychological abuse, mockery, sarcasm, and even threats of dismissal for assuming gender roles such as motherhood and marriage—actions that constitute manifestations of workplace violence against women.

This article seeks to simplify the identification of the different types of violence experienced by working women in the workplace, exploring—through a historical perspective—how doctrine and the legal framework assess the degree of awareness women have regarding their labor rights, particularly those related to workplace violence. Based on this analysis, it proposes appropriate legal recommendations aimed at ensuring that the competent authorities guarantee the enforcement and enjoyment of the rights recognized in national law—such as the Special Comprehensive Law for a Life Free of Violence for Women (LEIV)—as well as in applicable international regulations, notably Convention No. 190 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.