This live written discussion with a panel of experts explored how business can most effectively address gender-based violence in the workplace, their value chains and communities.
LIVE Panel
Thursday 23 November, 10am to 11am EST / 3pm to 4 pm GMT
Background
Businesses can effectively address gender-based violence by implementing policies and procedures to prevent and respond to incidents, providing training and education to employees on gender equality and violence prevention, and engaging with local organizations and stakeholders to address gender-based violence in their communities and value chains. Additionally, companies can demonstrate their commitment to ending gender-based violence by publicly speaking out against it, promoting gender equality, and incorporating it into their sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives. By taking a comprehensive approach, businesses can create safer, more inclusive, and more equitable workplaces and communities.
This discussion with a panel of experts to explored these issues and the implications for business action.
Panel
Suzi Chinnery, Head, Capability and Impact, CARE Australia
Abir Chowdhury, Sr. Manager - Development & Fundraising, Ashoka University
Natalie Deacon, Director Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Avon International
Chioma Izuwah, Business Fights Poverty Community Member
Elizabeth Waweru, Research and Policy Associate, The Youth Cafe
Laura Macias, Global Lead, RISE Womenâs Advancement & Leadership, BSR
Melissa Morbeck, Global Director of Partnerships, NO MORE
Haron Muturi, Wake and Shine SHG, Junior Leader, Tharaka Nithi
How can businesses best address the issue of gender-based violence in the workplace and communities?
What are the best examples of businesses taking action on gender-based violence?
How can we better work together to make more of a positive impact on gender-based violence?
Format
This is a text-based discussion which remains open, so please do continue to share your insights.
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Most of challenges in working space is the culture that has been there for some time and is not favoring good ethics of gender equality based as well dressing them by turning the work place to be decent , such as professional development, work life balance to mention a few focusing on long term achievements can be area that dresses the gender -based violence no matter the size of the organisation when such soft skills are acquired , are shared in communities even starting from home which can save many lives as well save the business from Fred Tumwesigye
Hi Everyone, I am Katie, Director of Thought Leadership for Business Fights Poverty.
We are really looking forward to the written discussion this week. The live part of the contribution will take place on Thursday (as advertised) but you can login and contribute at any time. Please do start by introducing yourself here, simply hit âreplyâ.
Hi everyone! Iâm Sabine Garbarino, an independent Gender, Inclusion & Diversity consultant and one of the contributors to Thursdayâs session. Really looking forward to it!
Hello! Iâm Suzi Chinnery, Head of Capability and Impact with CARE Australia, leading our work on gender equality and inclusion, including workplace based sexual harassment, working with individual organisations as well as at the supply chain level in the garment industry across SE Asia. We have also worked with other supply chains to support industry level resources to reduce sexual and gender based violence in supply chains. With 30% of employees, mostly women, (and upwards to 70% of employees in some industries) experiencing some form of sexual harassment in the workplace its a critical issue to be talking about.
Hi all. Iâm Craig Wilkinson, founder of the non-profit organization Father A Nation (FAN) based in South Africa. Iâve written books on fatherhood and developed courses on gender-based violence and positive masculinity. FAN works with boys and men in communities, schools, organizations, colleges to teach, transform, heal and inspire them to be excellent fathers, mentors, men and role models.
Hi everyone! Iâm Laura Macias, Global Lead Womenâs Advancement & Leadership at RISE (Reimagining the Industry to Support Equality).
RISE is an initiative to support collaborative industry action at scale to advance gender equality in global garment, footwear and home textiles supply chains. RISE brings together the four largest womenâs empowerment programs in the apparel industryâfrom BSRâs HERproject, Gap Inc. P.A.C.E, CARE International and Better Work from the ILO.
Because every workplace is a microcosm of society businesses have a great opportunity and a duty to influence society through their staff and customers.
Putting in place the right policies and procedures which combat gender-based violence AND creating the right corporate culture AND recruiting and training the right people responsible for implementing the policies.
I think we still often need to make the case for why business needs to address GBV in the workplace and communities. Business case work on the why and also that illustrates the benefits of tackling these issues remains important. (IFC have done some interesting work on the latter)
In our toolkit that we did on this back in 2019 with Anglo America, IFC, Primark and CARE, we outlined some of the reasons to actâŚâŚ e.g. The costs of GBV are high, with estimates totalling $1.5 trillion, the equivalent of 2% of global GDP. One study in Peru found that violence costs companies $6.7 billion per year in lost productivity and associated organisational costs.
Higher rates of turnover and absenteeism.
In Papua New Guinea, IFC and partners estimated that staff lose 11 workdays per year to GBV, including two days to presenteeism, five to absenteeism and four to assisting other GBV survivors. Staff time alone cost companies between 3% and 9% of payroll.
Lower productivity and performance. In the US women who have suffered from domestic violence work 10% fewer workdays per year than women who have not been subject to such violence.
Negative impact on workplace relations , and stress related illness. This includes a tendency to âpresenteeismâ when a worker is physically present but not able to concentrate leading to increased chances of mistakes and accidents. In Europe stress contributes to around half of all lost working days.
Totally agree. The challenge is that businesses do not always realise how widespread gender-based violence is. Every time I speak with business (or colleagues working with the private sector) about prevalence the numbers come as a big surpriseâŚ
The best way to address gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace (and overall gender inequality which is the root cause of women being the main subjects of violence and harassment in the world of work, in communities, and households) is to approach the issue from a system thinking and comprehensive perspective.
At RISE, we work specifically in global apparel supply chains, where imbalances of power are present at every level of this very big system contributing directly or indirectly to increased cases of GBVH. Our approach contemplates these various levels of the system to guarantee a holistic and robust approach towards reverting power imbalances and achieving more gender-equal workplaces free of violence and harassment. Working on three levels is key to this: 1. social norms, 2. industry transformation and 3. policy.
To mark 16 Days of activism we at Avon have released this âReverse Makeup Tutorialâ video to illustrate coercive control by reimagining a typical makeup tutorial. Weâve been raising awareness for over 15 years and signposting the network of support services that Avon helps to fund for over 15 years. But this is the first time weâve done anything quite so bold. Iâd be very interested to hear peoplesâ feedback. The film is rooted in insights we heard from survivors and our charity partners about coercive control in relation to a partnerâs appearance. A fifth of women say they have had a partner influence whether or not they wear makeup, while the same number say their partner controls whether or not they wear makeup. Of the women who said a partner controls how much makeup they wear, the highest incidence was amongst those aged 25-34 (26%).
Care conducted a review of evidence on what works to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace www.care.org.au/stop and the evidence is really clear about what action needs to be taken. And those actions are really achievable.
Businesses should be looking at their internal culture, leadership and policies. This means taking a visible and vocal stand on gender equality in supporting it as well as on preventing gender-based violence in all its forms.
Businesses must show their staff that itâs safe to raise issues of gender inequality / discrimination and gender based violence and that when those issues are raised they will be taken seriously.
Leadership driving this is important. Staff need to know that their leaders are genuine. There can be a risk that its seen as paying lip service to this issue because of the potential legal or reputational risks â both of which are significant.
Leaders need to understand their critical role in promoting gender equality in the workplace â diverse leadership, equal salary, representation in the workplace â as well as preventing violence. This includes behaviours that might suggest toxic stereotypes for men are okay, as well as addressing stereotypes around what women should or shouldnât be in the workplace.
Leaders need to promote the positive sides of gender equality as well as prevent its negative impacts such as gender-based violence.
Training for staff is important but its not enough. All businesses need to have a culture of being clear about accepted behaviours and stepping in when behaviours are not acceptable. âSmallâ jokes can lead to bigger issues and risks for violence. Its important to show that its taken seriously at all levels â thatâs where understanding social norms is really important.
Its really important to take a survivor focused lens in dealing with gender based violence. The wishes and wellbeing of the victim/survivor need to be front and centre.
When dealing with gender based violence - the severity of the issue might make it a criminal matter, but even then businesses can support their employees in a way that retains survivor focused lens â access to counselling and health services, paid leave to deal with the issue, re-assigning the person to another, safer position within the company.
While hard to quantify reputation is a massive thing for many businesses. And it does not just affect large businesses, itâs an also issue for SMEs.
As part of a then DFID-funded programme in Sierra Leone weâve worked with Lion Mountain, a small rice producer in Sierra Leone, and learn that intimate partner violence risked damaging this small local businesses reputation in the community. Which worried them more than staff time and absenteeism.
Absolutely crucial to have the commitment, buy-in and modelling of top leadership. Too many programmes skip the C suite and focus on middle to lower levels of management. It must start at the top and be modelled from the top.
