ILO Study Reveals Widespread Violence and Harassment in West African Workplaces, Affecting Over Half of Workers in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire

A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report has exposed the pervasive and deeply damaging scale of violence and harassment in the world of work across Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, with more than one in two workers in Senegal (65 per cent) and Côte d’Ivoire (58 per cent), and nearly half in Burkina Faso (43 per cent), reporting at least one incident during their working lives.

Titled Making the Invisible Visible: Understanding and Combating Violence and Harassment at Work in Three West African Countries, the 2026 study consolidates findings from four multidisciplinary research projects conducted between 2022 and 2024 under the France-ILO joint initiative Combating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work & Equal Pay and Career Opportunities for Men and Women. It provides the most detailed and nationally representative evidence to date on the prevalence, forms, perpetrators, risk factors and consequences of this widespread phenomenon in West Africa.

Prevalence and Forms

The report identifies a clear continuum: psychological violence frequently co-occurs with physical or sexual forms, creating compounding harm. Men are more likely to experience physical violence, while women face significantly higher rates of sexual violence and harassment. Young workers and older workers are disproportionately affected across all forms.

Perpetrators and Locations

Violence and harassment occur predominantly in the workplace but extend beyond it – during public transport commutes, interactions with clients or the general public, and in digital or remote work environments. Third parties – such as customers, patients or unknown individuals – rank among the most common perpetrators, particularly for women.

In workplaces, supervisors and colleagues are the primary perpetrators of psychological and physical violence against men, while women are disproportionately targeted by third parties. Pressure at work, poor work organisation and difficult client interactions stand out as key risk factors.

Profound Consequences

The effects are far-reaching. Up to half of victims report significant deterioration in mental health, while up to one-third experience physical harm. Common outcomes include higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress, reduced confidence, lower motivation and job satisfaction, increased absenteeism and diminished productivity — with women and young workers bearing the heaviest burden.

Despite the severity, only around 60 per cent of victims report incidents, with women more likely than men to come forward. Most victims confide in family members, friends or colleagues rather than formal channels. Barriers to reporting include perceptions that incidents are “not serious enough,” fear of stigma or reprisals, limited trust in procedures, and lack of accessible mechanisms.

Legal and Institutional Gaps

All three countries have legal and institutional frameworks addressing violence and harassment, but they are often fragmented, poorly known and difficult to access — particularly for vulnerable workers in informal sectors. Underreporting, reliance on informal remedies, fear of reprisals and limited institutional capacity continue to undermine effective prevention, protection and support.

The Global Standard: ILO Convention No. 190

The report’s findings underscore the urgent need for accelerated ratification and implementation of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), and its accompanying Recommendation No. 206 – the first international instruments to provide a comprehensive framework for preventing, remedying and eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment.

Adopted in June 2019 and entering into force in June 2021, Convention No. 190 defines violence and harassment broadly to include “a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender-based violence and harassment.”

Key obligations include:

• Adopting comprehensive national laws and policies.

• Ensuring effective enforcement mechanisms and accessible complaint procedures.

• Providing remedies and support for victims (counselling, compensation, reintegration).

• Promoting awareness-raising, training and education.

• Encouraging workplace policies, risk assessments and collective bargaining.

• Recognising gender-based violence and harassment as requiring specific measures.

As of March 2026, 38 countries have ratified Convention No. 190 globally, but ratification and full implementation remain limited in West Africa and across much of the continent. The ILO report provides concrete evidence to support ratification and enforcement in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

12 Actionable Recommendations

The study proposes 12 recommendations across three strategic pillars:

• Prevention — Raise awareness, provide training, develop workplace policies and conduct risk assessments.

• Protection — Establish accessible reporting mechanisms, ensure enforcement and protect against victimisation.

• Redress and Support — Offer psychosocial services, compensation and reintegration measures for victims.

Chidi King, Chief of the ILO’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch, said: “This research makes visible a reality that too many workers have endured in silence. It provides the evidence needed to strengthen prevention, protection and redress, and to accelerate action towards ratification and effective implementation of ILO Convention No. 190.”