IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 683 

Supporting and protecting the right of women working in developing countries 

to safe workplaces, free from gender-based violence, reprisals, and intimidation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2016 

Ms. SPEIER (for herself and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting and protecting the right of women working in 

developing countries to safe workplaces, free from gender-based violence, reprisals, and intimidation. 

Whereas women in developing countries who have joined the 

industrial workforce have continued to suffer or become 

increasingly vulnerable to economic violence such as 

forced overtime, wage theft, abusive short-term contracts, 

discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence at work; 

Whereas women typically make up the majority of the workforce in industries where workers’ rights have been restricted such as export manufacturing like the global apparel industry and other export sectors such as cut flowers and fresh produce; 


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•HRES 683 IH 

Whereas sexual violence is often used by male managers as 

a means of intimidation and punishment when female 

workers make a mistake, fail to meet production targets, 

ask for leave or arrive late to work; 

Whereas women are particularly vulnerable to violence and 

intimidation at work, due to the frequently disproportionate number of male managers, lack of policing and 

reporting of sexual harassment, and common cultural 

norms that assert male dominance and place disproportionate pressure on women to maintain their income and 

support their children and elders; 

Whereas a survey of female garment industry workers in 

Bangladesh revealed that nearly one-third of those surveyed had been the recipient of unwelcome sexual overtures, inappropriate touching, or threats of being forced 

to undress and nearly half reported being beaten or 

struck in the face by their supervisors; 

Whereas some of the most deadly accidents in industrial history have occurred in export-processing industries where 

female workers predominate, including Ali Enterprises in 

Pakistan in 2012, the deadliest apparel factory fire in 

history in which 259 workers’ lives were lost, and the 

Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, where 1,134 

Bangladeshi workers lost their lives and 2,500 more were 

injured, the majority of whom were women; 

Whereas these and other industrial accidents have occurred 

in facilities that were monitored and certified as safe and 

decent workplaces by private, voluntary corporate social 

responsibility initiatives invested in by global brands from 

the United States and Europe; 


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•HRES 683 IH 

Whereas female workers are often knowingly exposed to dangerous and life-threatening machinery and toxic substances that are no longer used in developed nations due 

to their reproductive and general health effects, without 

even the simplest of safety measures like gloves or face 

masks; and 

Whereas research shows that workers who are more well-informed about health and safety facilitate safer workplaces, and legal protections that allow workers’ elected 

union representatives to raise safety and other concerns 

without fear of reprisal are essential for worker safety: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States Government should— 

3 (1) support policies that create safe and decent 

4 jobs in developing countries which is critical to en5 suring peaceful and sustainable economic growth 

6 and development in a globalized world; 

7 (2) support policies that reduce gender-based 

8 violence and other forms of discrimination at work, 

9 improving the ability of women workers to speak out 

10 in defense of their rights without fear of reprisals; 

11 (3) encourage the development of an Inter12 national Labour Conference Convention to address 

13 gender-based violence at work; 

14 (4) promote labor rights in trade agreements 

15 and enforce the right of women and other workers 


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•HRES 683 IH 

1 to join unions in defense of their own rights and 

2 safety; 

3 (5) utilize diplomatic means and international 

4 aid to support measures to end violence against 

5 women in the workplace and empower women and 

6 other workers to participate fully in their economies 

7 and to protect their safety; and 

8 (6) encourage United States companies with 

9 international supply chains and United States pro10 curement agencies to increase transparency and ac11 countability in order to ensure that their products 

12 are produced in workplaces that work aggressively to 

13 end gender-based workplace violence and respect the 

14 rights of women workers. 

Æ 


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