The ILO said consultation with LGBTIQ+ communities and social dialogue with employers’ and workers’ organisations are key. “This will allow the identification of concrete steps for improving the legal and policy environment, ending discrimination and exclusions, and complying with international instruments,” the document said. It said a national policy and labour law review will allow governments to assess their country’s work policy environment for LGBTIQ+ persons. The ILO added that around the world, LGBTIQ+ persons face harassment, violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. Citing data from various sources, the ILO document said discrimination has an economic cost not just to LGBTIQ+ persons and their families but also to enterprises and national economies. A document released on Wednesday by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on “Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons in the world of work” recommended member countries, employers’ organisations and representatives of workers to launch social protection programmes to remove barriers that LGBTIQ+ persons face in the society.
