Caribbean Employers Challenged To End Violence against Women in the Workplace

The workplace must become another line of defence against Gender-based Violence (GBV), and Caribbean businesses must establish policies to ensure that this is the case.

This call came recently from Mr. Wayne Chen, President, Caribbean Employers Confederation (CEC), who delivered opening remarks at the launch of the GBV Workplace Policy. The activity formed part of the Caribbean Regional Programme of the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative, designed to empower employers to contribute to ending violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Under the theme “From Awareness to Action: Transforming the Caribbean Workplace to End Violence against Women”, the launch of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-led initiative, featured a range of speakers representing the interests of labour, as well as the regional diplomatic corps. Eight businesses from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago formally demonstrated their commitment to implementing policies to end GBV in the workplace, during a signing ceremony of the official policy.

In addressing the gathering, President Chen noted that the milestones from Phase I of the project included the creation of a gender-based violence workplace toolkit, communications materials and training programmes. Phase II, he added, involved support provided to Caribbean employers to apply these tools to their respective industries and business places. This aspect would be completed in four phases with emphasis on areas as broad as gender equality, victim-centred support, recruitment, reporting and self-defence training.

The CEC President also noted that the COVID-19 Pandemic had exacerbated the issue of VAWG, making the need for initiatives that can create lasting change even more urgent.

David Mogollon, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union, also addressed the forum, describing GBV in the workplace as “simply unacceptable.” He emphasised that interventions in the workplace must be culturally appropriate and embedded within the organisation, to ensure that there is a “zero tolerance approach” at various levels of its structure, to bring about meaningful change.

Jenny Karlsen, Deputy Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sub-Regional Office, Caribbean, noted: “It is our collective duty which necessitates the support of everyone, from leadership to individuals, to foster a safe working environment for everyone because every person, regardless of gender, deserves to work in an environment free from fear, intimidation, or violence. Together, we can make a difference that touches the lives of every individual, particularly women and girls in the Caribbean.”

UN Resident Coordinator, Didier Trebucq, described the proceedings as “an important moment in our journey towards a safer, more equitable workplace for all.” He noted that “this is welcome progress on our work to end GBV in the Region and achieving the SDGs for people everywhere.” Commending the eight companies from three CARICOM Member States who participated in developing the GBV Workplace Policy, the UN Head assured that the UN System would continue to support work undertaken in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean “to eliminate GBV in all its forms in the workplace and wherever it shows up.”

Commending employers for their part in this critical policy, Barbados’ Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, the Hon. Colin Jordan, in delivering the feature address, underlined that “violence and harassment at work, and in the world of work, cause harm to individuals, families, businesses and societies. It affects people’s lives, dignity, health and wellbeing. It also worsens inequality in societies and undermines business productivity. There should be no place for and no tolerance of violence and harassment,” he concluded.

The resources developed will be available to organisers and HR practitioners across the Region, in the hope that, in the future, more organisations will come on board to implement workplace policies that protect the rights and well-being of their employees.

Source: CARICOM TODAY