Last year I was lucky enough to visit an ActionAid-supported project in Nairobi, where our partner, the Wangu Kanja Foundation, runs a service for women survivors of violence, with the main medium of communication being text messages. They were already working in a context where families are living in overcrowded conditions and women might not have the freedom to visit services or make/receive calls. There is much to learn from women’s rights organisations across Africa, who have been innovating for many years, and often on a shoe string - now is the time to listen and learn from them. Here is more information on the programme: https://www.actionaid.org.uk/blog/voices/2018/03/15/the-helpline-getting-justice-for-rape-survivors
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Agree Lucia - the reports of mass cancellations of orders was really worrying. Do you think the fact that nike, Gap and others are now designing/ordering masks and protective clothing will help or will they get these produced in other contexts?
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Yes, even though 70% of health workers are women.
and to recognise that there are others who can support in this process, sometimes a civil society specialist or third party is better able to build this relationship and trust
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Our third and final question today,
- How can companies harness their core business strategies including marketing and innovation as well as philanthropy to respond to the increase in violence?
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Hi Jane, this is REALLY good to know about the upcoming briefing on employers and perpetrators, that would be really great to see when it comes out.
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This is very good tool
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A3:
- Act to maintain supplies of essential services for survivors , such as emergency contraception and post-exposure prophylaxis. It is important that those supplies are also considered ‘life saving’ and should be prioritised: (without access to contraception, an increase in unsafe abortion is also very likely, as well as an increase in maternal mortality as a result of strained healthcare services).
- Train health care personnel to identify VAWG risks and cases , handle disclosures, provide non-judgmental and empathetic care, and know where they can refer women for additional care.
- It may be appropriate to train personnel in other industries to identify VAWG risks and cases . For example, in the UK, postmen and those engaged in household delivery services are being told to look out for signs of domestic violence.
- Provide confidential spaces : France have committed funding for organisations setting up assistance points for survivors at supermarkets and pharmacies across the country.
- Secure employer-provided accommodation to ensure accommodators/hosts are not taking advantage of women. In cases where security guards are no longer working, ensure women know how to report violence, abuse and harassment. Consider whether any vacant employer-provided accommodation can be offered as safe shelter and emergency housing for workers who may be experiencing domestic violence.
- Strengthen economic security where possible. This should include assessing delivery modifications to minimize risk to women and girls associated with e.g. changes in payment modality or value. Develop and agree on cash delivery strategies for those who have left factories or who have been terminated, ensure that MNCs are partnering with local organisations that have robust VAWG protection in place.
Businesses have access to a very wide reach of people (customers, workers etc) and they can leverage this network to finance large community-based campaigns to raise awareness about domestic violence (as well as response). Through investing enough means in these campaigns and social media reach they can easily target thousands to millions of people.
Looks great. Thank you
Businesses can start doing internal training about the subject but also think about extending their sphere of awareness to partners, contractors, suppliers etc.
As I mentioned before, one of the challenges of this crisis in order to reduce gender based violence and its repercussions on women will be to connect women to economic opportunities because losing or not finding income and unemployment will force women to accept abusive situations. Companies can therefore create or sustain job opportunities for women who have suffered from violence.
Either through their philanthropy if not a healthcare business or through their business if they are a healthcare business, businesses can invest in improving women’s health locally. Invest in reinforcing community health initiatives for women which will receive an increase in demand, also to ensure that women’s healthcare services are not suspended or overwhelmed given the crisis. This can include essential healthcare for women and full maintenance of sexual and repoductive health services, anenatal and postnatal care and acess to contraception, abortion and post-abortion services.
The hospitality sector could also respond in making their hotels that are currently empty available for women who have suffered from violence during the crisis period through a partnership with the city/police/hotline referral networks.
Technology companies can leverage their technology and knowledge to contribute to initiatives around better responding to and protecting women who have suffered from GBV, including blockchain technology, apps. Etc. Look at this competition for example: https://www.blockchangel.org/?lang=en
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According to a report by Candid on the global philanthropic response to COVID-19, research shows as the epidemic became a pandemic, the global philanthropic response increased exponentially to meet the challenge. By March 23, it had almost tripled to $2.6 billion. However, gender is not yet trending on private sector solutions, and very little sex- disaggregated data is called for in the reporting and tracking.
• To address the impact of COVID-19, companies are making a number of socially beneficial communications to the public. It is essential that these communications avoid harmful stereotypes and seek to depict positive and progressive gender portrayals. Check out the UStereotype Alliance, https://www.unstereotypealliance.org/en to learn more. In all types of public or internal communication, it is important to recognize that unconscious bias can lead to unintended use of harmful stereotypes, especially in such a fast-moving situation.
• Lastly, consider taking proactive measures through messaging to all employees to challenge gender stereotypes and roles, discrimination, inequality and harmful masculinities to encourage prosocial behavior and healthy outlets of coping with stressful situations.
• Innovation and digital solutions can be lifesaving. In some countries, for example, telecommunication companies allow toll free calls of survivors to Hotlines.
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Agree Chiara, ene of the most important actions business can currently take is to recognise their responsibilities as global buyers and maintain purchasing commitments with suppliers. We are already witnessing the devastating impact cancellation of orders in the garment sector is having: over 1 million workers have already lost their jobs in Bangladesh and reports suggest many thousands more face a similar situation in the coming weeks in countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia. This increases economic stress and the risk of violence for women.
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A3 Core business - The obvious one for tech/mobile companies would seem to be scaling up text/online platforms? Vodafone launched their BrightSky App in 2018 to provide nation-wide DV support. There must be others doing similar? Ditto there must be scope to scale up how financial service providers and mobile providers can deliver cash transfers and social safety net benefits in low income countries as has been done in Rwanda and during humanitarian emergencies.
I’m interested if any health related companies are with us - what could/should they be doing to support frontline health-workers who are at increased risk of violence?
I also think there is something about thinking through how your core business - or adaptations you are having to make to it - will impact those most at risk of violence across the supply chain. So reports of cancelling mass orders from female garment workers does not bode well. However the likes of Gap, Nike, and others adapting their products to make protective clothing/masks sounds positive…
Philanthropy
In the short-term simply increasing funding for organizations providing emergency shelter should be a priority. Companies could fund driectly as Avon have or consider advocating to governments - e.g. the Canadian government announced a $82-billion COVID-19 aid package on March 18, 2020 which included earmarked increases in $50 million funding for GBV shelters and sexual assault centers.
And for donors - i saw an interesting pledge spearheaded by the Ford Foundation, which a number of orgs have signed urging for flexible, adaptive funding in the context of COVID-19.
Advertising - Avon and Chelsea Football club are two organisations that I have seen adopting campaigns to raise funds for DV specialist services during C-19….we need many more to emphasise that whilst we are living in extraordinary times, violence will never be condoned.
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I completely agree that trust is essential to create the right environment for people to come forward. Unfortunately this relationship isn’t always trustworthy at the best of times. Given the agile responses businesses (and every other sector) are facing amidst this ever growing global challenge, being proactive in reaching out to employees to provide reassurance, flexibility and holistic support can help build a trusting environment.
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Businesses can also finance local women’s organizations that are providing legal and psychosocial emergency support to women who have suffered from violence. More meaningful partnerships can be designed with such organizations (such as inviting them to do staff training, events/webinars and creating a formal referral network). Companies can also create a product line that provides funding to shelters/GBV response organizations, which promotes awareness about the topic both internally as well as with the wider audience/customers.
Finally businesses can also be an influence for good and influence legislation to support women who have suffered from violence, work with organizations that are lobbying the government for positive change.
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I share with all of you a Briefing Note that UNDP prepared on the Economic Impact of COVID 19 from a Gender Perspective. Brief UNDP Economic Impact of COVID and Gender Inequality.pdf (648.9 KB)
Violence against women have serious consequences even for their economic recovery during and after the COVID 19 crisis. Access to employment opportunities get reduced, in particularly for the most vulnerable women like refugees or migrants.
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yes very good point @verityoshaughnessy also suggested working with women’s organizations to facilitate that trust !