ILO Convention 190 is the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a “world of work free from violence and harassment,” including gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). Convention 190 requires that employers implement policies that address violence and harassment, strengthen “enforcement and monitoring mechanisms” and ensure access to “remedies and support for victims,” among other provisions. 

While GBVH occurs in a variety of workplaces, it is even more common in hotels, wherea large proportion of workers are women. Several DFI’s have policies protecting workers from violence and harassment in the workplace, although some of these policies are not always adequately enforced. 

Case Study: Xcaret Hotels, Mexico

In 2017, the IFC approved a loan for up to $100 million USD for the construction of a luxury resort hotel called Xcaret México, in the Riviera Maya region. The investment disclosure required Xcaret to formulate and implement a comprehensive policy to address gender-based harassment. Though this policy – named the Gender Empowerment and Equality Plan – was supposedly implemented in March 2022, employees have reported to IUF that the policy was not evenly applied and that complaints of managers harassing female employees went unaddressed. One employee explained that she raised her concerns to the HR department about being verbally and physically harassed multiple times by her supervisor but saw no change. She alleged that Xcaret took no action, and the supervisor continued to work for the company. Another female employee complained of consistent sexual innuendo and comments in her department with no repercussions. She claimed that such practices were rampant at hotels and in the theme parks.