Colleagues, Distinguished guests,

It is both a privilege and a moral imperative to address this G20 dialogue on dignity in the workplace, we must say, we are honored to be invited to bring the voice of COSATU into this important forum. As COSATU, we stand firm in our conviction that the world of work must be a space of safety, respect, and equality not a battleground for gendered violence and harassment.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not a private issue, it is a workplace crisis. It is a crime that robs workers, especially women and gender-diverse persons, of their dignity, their income, and their right to exist free from fear. It is a systemic injustice that intersects with race, class, and economic vulnerability. And it is perpetuated by toxic masculinities that glorify dominance, silence, empathy, and punish difference.

The G20 Workplace Dialogues for Dignity remind us that dignity is not an abstract principle. It is lived or denied every day in our workplaces, our homes, and our unions. One of the most urgent threats to workplace dignity remains gender-based violence and harassment. Women workers, especially in precarious and low-paid jobs, bear the heaviest burden. But violence in the world of work does not emerge from nowhere. Let us be clear: dignity is not negotiable, It is a right and ending GBV in the world of work is not a favor it is a responsibility for everyone.

Root Causes: Patriarchy, Racism, Capitalism

We must be clear: toxic masculinity is not natural. It has been shaped by patriarchy, racism, and capitalism.

In South Africa, the migrant labour system under colonialism and apartheid forced men to leave their families and communities to work in the mines under brutal, racialised conditions. Families were torn apart, fathers absent, men humiliated and disciplined through violence. This system normalised domination and exploitation and the violence did not remain in the compounds. It spilled into communities, homes, and workplaces.

Male violence is not separate from these structures. It is born from them. That is why our fight against GBVH must always be linked to the broader struggle against patriarchy, against racism, and against the exploitative logic of capitalism itself.

Toxic Masculinity Harms Everyone

• As men, we must also recognise that toxic masculinity harms us too.
• It harms women through harassment, exclusion, and abuse.
• It poisons workplaces with fear and mistrust.

And it harms men through cycles of male-on-male violence, through pressure to suppress emotions, through silence around mental health.Too many men are told that showing vulnerability is weakness, that seeking help is shameful. This contributes to high levels of stress, depression, and tragically, suicide among men.

When we stand up against violence, we do it not only for women workers, but for ourselves, our children, for our own peace, wellbeing, and humanity.

Positive masculinity is not the absence of violence, it is the presence of care, accountability, and solidarity. It is men standing up against abuse, not standing by. It is unions educating their members, not enabling silence. It is governments funding shelters and survivor services, not cutting budgets

Comrades, as a male leader, I want to speak directly to men.

• Too often, we confuse masculinity with domination, control, or aggression. But let us be clear: that is not strength that is weakness.
• True strength is not in raising your hand against a woman, but in raising your voice against injustice.
• True masculinity is not in controlling others, but in controlling yourself.
• Positive masculinity is standing shoulder to shoulder with women comrades, not above them.

This is the transformation we need, men who reject the false power of domination and embrace the real strength of solidarity, empathy, and equality.

• The good news is that men are already stepping forward.
• COSATU Male Gender Champions are being trained alongside gender coordinators to challenge harassment, support survivors, and create safer union spaces.
• Campaigns like Men-Care are showing that care work is not women’s work alone, but men’s work too.
• In communities, men are mentoring young boys, teaching values of respect and responsibility, breaking cycles of violence.
• Male unionists are serving as allies to women workers facing harassment intervening as shop stewards and organisers, pushing for robust reporting systems, and ensuring that victims are protected, not punished.
• These actions show us that men are not only part of the problem. Men can and must be a decisive part of the solution.

From Policy to Practice

South Africa’s ratification of ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the world of work, was a historic victory for workers. COSATU was instrumental in mobilizing for this ratification, and we continue to push for its full implementation. C190 is not just a legal instrument, it is a political commitment to end violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence. Trade unions have a unique role in transforming workplaces.

In South Africa, we are working to:

• Ensure safe reporting channels for GBVH.
• Train shop stewards to prevent and respond to harassment.
• Bargain for maternity protection, family leave, and recognition of care work.
• Put men’s mental health on the agenda of workplace dignity.
• Encourage male leaders to model positive masculinity and solidarity.

Lived Experiences: Workers Speak

Our members have shared harrowing stories from sexual coercion in informal sectors to psychological abuse in boardrooms. These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a culture that normalizes violence and silences survivors. COSATU has documented these experiences and used them to inform our advocacy, our bargaining strategies, and our public campaigns.

We affirm that workplace crime, including GBV, must be treated with the same urgency as any other criminal act. It must be prosecuted, not negotiated. It must be prevented, not excused.

A Global Struggle

This is not only South Africa’s story. Around the world, patriarchy, racism, and capitalism have combined to produce cultures of violence. But around the world, workers and unions are resisting.

The G20 has the power to lead by committing to universal implementation of C190, by recognising that workplace violence is rooted in systemic inequality, and by affirming that dignity at work is a human right.

COSATU calls on all G20 nations to:

• Ratify and implement C190 with urgency
• Embed gender justice in labour law reform
• Fund workplace GBV prevention programmes
• Include trade unions in national GBV strategies
• Promote positive masculinity through education and media

Comrades, Brothers and Sisters, let me end with a challenge. Dignity is not only something we demand from employers. It is something we must live in how we treat our comrades, our colleagues, our families.

• When we let go of toxic masculinity, we free ourselves too.
• When we choose positive masculinity, we build workplaces of peace, solidarity, and equality.
• When men stand as allies, we strengthen our unions, our communities, and our societies.
• Mandatory workplace policies on GBV and harassment.
• Gender-sensitive grievance procedures.
• Training on positive masculinity and bystander intervention.
• Protection for whistleblowers and survivors.
• Criminal accountability for workplace violence.
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An injury to one is an injury to all. And dignity for one must mean dignity for All.