To mark the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the ITCILO is pleased to present the Resource Kit on Preventing and Addressing Gender Based Violence in Global Supply Chains.
This Resource Kit on gender-based violence in global supply has been produced by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) and Fair Wear Foundation.
The kit is designed to help global brands, employers, trade unions and other stakeholders address gender-based violence in their global supply chains.
Violence and harassment in the world of work is a threat to the health and well-being of everyone. It impacts not only workers, employers and the brands that sell the products, but also families, communities, economies and society as a whole.
One in every five jobs today is linked to a global supply chain. Violence and sexual harassment, particularly in the form of sexual violence and verbal abuse against women workers, is an issue frequently found in sectors where women work in low-skilled production.
Gender-based violence in farms and factories is a risk that is underreported, yet experienced by many vulnerable, often young and female, global production workers.
While globalisation of production offers an important source of employment, particularly for women, these jobs do not necessarily result in safe and decent work. Many large companies selling consumer goods outsource production to factories and farms, often in countries with varying levels of economic and social development or human resource systems.
Factory and farm managers, employers and brands increasingly recognise that there is a problem—and that it has the impact on profits and reputation—but they feel that they do not have the tools to tackle it.
The practical strategies suggested in this Resource Kit aim to help all stakeholders implement legislation and functioning human resource management systems, while also forging new approaches to addressing gender-based violence in the workplace.
The publication of the Resource Kit contributes to the discussions by ILO fora in anticipation of a standard-setting item on the agenda of the International Labour Conference in 2018 on ‘Violence against women and men in the world of work’.
The Resource Kit is a multi-purpose package for individual and group learning on issues related to gender-based violence in global supply chains, as well as for implementing training and awareness-raising activities. It is suitable for varied target audiences, including trainers and facilitators, representatives from the social partners and organisations interested in developing and implementing practical workplace initiatives, advocacy and campaigns.
You can read more about this initiative in the press release here.