Gender-based violence and harrassment at work: experts' discourse and perceptions in the labour field in Italy

The chapter focuses on gender-based violence in the world of work, from a feminist and sociological perspective. It reflects on the changes in the public discourse and intervention on the issue at the global level, and in one specific local context: Italy. Drawing on the feminist scholarship on the topic, the chapter firstly provides a definition of gender-based violence and harassment at work, its determinants, and its interpretations. Then it discusses some incipient transformations related to two events of the late 2010s: the #MeToo mobilizations against sexual violence and harassment, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention against violence and gender-based violence in the world of work. Lastly, it presents the results of a qualitative study on the discourse and representations of gender-based violence at work produced by trade unionists and experts in the labour field in Italy. Furthermore, the analysis focuses on their perception of the ongoing changes and of the impact of the ILO Convention, as well as some resistance to the application of a gender framework to violence at work. We conclude by proposing some open-ended questions and directions for further research on the topic.