In 2018, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described violence against women and girls as a “global pandemic” and “a mark of shame on all our societies.” Indeed, gender-based violence affects 1 in 3 women globally. Of its many forms physical and sexual violence carried out by intimate partners, or domestic violence is the most widespread.
Among their many negative effects, domestic violence and sexual harassment interfere with women’s full and equal participation in the workforce. They impair employees’ physical and mental health and well-being, leading to stress, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, motivation, and even job loss. It contributes to the gender pay gap and affects women’s opportunities for advancement and career progression. Women usually bear the brunt of gender-based violence, although others are at risk, including men and members of the LGBTQI community.
In addition to its serious human impacts, gender-based violence negatively impacts business productivity and reputation. This is why new legal frameworks are emerging that require more action and accountability from businesses.
In June 2019, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a United Nations entity tasked with setting labour standards, agreed to a global treaty that sets out the first globally recognized standards for addressing violence and harassment. One of the most significant implications of the new agreement is that companies will be required to respond to gender-based violence in a more comprehensive way than before—including taking steps to prevent violence, to protect survivors through remedy and compensation, and to develop reporting and grievance procedures.
But beyond meeting legal requirements, businesses have a tremendous opportunity to help shift social norms.
Many companies although willing to tackle gender-based violence but are unsure where to begin. With this in mind, Business Fights Poverty, a social impact platform, partnered with businesses and NGOs to develop a five-step framework for action:
Prevent Violence and Harassment by Identifying Potential Risks
To one degree or another, gender-based violence affects all businesses. It’s important to understand where problems are occurring and what the causes are. Tools like the Business for Social Responsibility Diagnostic designed to help large companies with complex value chains identify where the problems are and how to tackle them. The tool enables a company to self-assess how effectively their existing policies, programs, culture, leadership, and strategy are tackling violence and harassment. Under each focus area, there is a set of guiding questions for companies to develop a score. The scores help a company identify where it is doing well and where it needs to do better.
Commit to Gender Equality and Diversity across the workplace
CEO and senior leadership commitments to diverse, equal, and respectful workplaces— backed by adequate resources and action—form a necessary foundation for addressing gender-based violence. It tackles the root of the problem (gender inequality) and creates trust amongst staff. Without this foundation efforts to ‘raise awareness’ about gender-based violence can appear tokenistic and lack legitimacy.
Protecting the employees with supportive policies and procedures
Clear policies and procedures—including reporting and grievance mechanisms—not only empower staff to take appropriate action when needed, but also reassure survivors, bystanders, accused perpetrators, and whistle-blowers that the company will handle cases effectively.
Collaborate and campaign beyond the immediate workplace
Sector-wide approaches to reducing gender-based violence, such as efforts across the alcohol or garment sector in a particular country, can help raise standards with suppliers and build a stronger overall ecosystem to tackle deeply ingrained issues. Companies also have the ability to influence societal norms and behaviours on gender-based violence through advertising and campaigning, particularly when the issues align with core business aims, and include culturally relevant reference points or actors.
Ensure Accountability and Monitoring Action
Companies taking action to tackle gender-based violence want to know whether those actions are benefitting employees. They also want to know how to most effectively comply with legal changes. Currently, the best approach is to adopt the standards set out in the new ILO treaty or use the Business for Social Responsibility Diagnostic tool. Then, set up feedback mechanisms to assess employees’ uptake of new policies and programs—conduct regular employee surveys and invite staff to share views on prioritizing resources to tackle the issue.
