What we want: Accelerated action on GBVH in supply chains

The first garment factory I ever visited was in Yangon back in 2018.  My colleague took me around the site and arranged a casual chat with women workers who were on break outside. We asked them something along the lines of what they wanted or expected from the job. While being fairly paid was of course a top priority for them they also wished for a “peaceful” work environment. 

They wanted to be treated well by supervisors, management and their colleagues.  While they did not discuss with me any cases of mistreatment, their emphasis indicated that a peaceful, respectful workplace could not be taken for granted. In fact, what seems to be a simple ambition remains an enduring challenge right across the globe in offices, factories and fields.  

Therefore, when we engage in a discussion about the status of women on International Women’s Day and celebrate their leadership and achievements, we do so reflecting on the key areas of action the Beijing Declaration highlighted including jobs and the economy, and ending violence against women. 

Violence again women and girls

We know the statistic. Nearly one in three women and girls, 15 to 49, will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime; we know the woman. We may very well be the woman. This also implies we may know or even work with perpetrators, which frequently are men. Rates of gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work are unclear as incidences are underreported for a variety of reasons.

But that GBVH is common isn’t anything new. Many companies acknowledge this risk and invest in women’s empowerment and leadership programming, training for workers (and would be perpetrators), helplines and strong statements and policies on GBVH.  Yet, despite the genuine commitment and effort many businesses devote to tackling GBVH, and pockets of promise, this remains widespread.

Responding to GBVH

A recent review of three companies’ response to crises of GBVH, and other examples of emerging good practice by ETI member NGO Partner Africa and Claire Lynch Consulting for ETP, indicates that many companies focus on short term action and that change takes more than three years. This short term action often focuses on management systems such as improving grievance mechanisms without sufficient attention paid to behaviours and prevention. This is made more difficult when impact is not well understood, and this could also be linked to the above – focus on management systems may lose sight of the ultimate change in attitudes, perceptions and behaviour that would signal a change in culture. 

So, on International Women’s Day 2025, when the theme is ‘Accelerate Action’ on gender equality, what steps are we taking to increase momentum in response to GBVH in supply chains?

Gender-responsive HRDD

Opposed to gender sensitive approaches that acknowledge the different experiences workers have along the (intersectional) lines of gender, gender responsive human rights due diligence means that companies examine how business is done to actively address beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that reproduce gender inequality. This may require a review of a business’ commercial practices: to what extent do cost saving measures detract from the ability to invest in changes and contribute to workers’ vulnerability; how aligned are commercial and sustainability teams; are companies supported to make changes for the long term? 

ETI is currently managing two initiatives that advance gender responsive human rights due diligence through collective member action, with a focus on one of the most salient gender risks in supply chains: GBVH.

The Gender Responsive Action Community at ETI (GRACE) works in partnership with Dr. Jane Pillinger, an expert who has worked with closely with both global trade union federations and multinational companies on gender responsive practice. Jane breaks down the GR HRDDD process for members through a series of workshops and provides additional bespoke support. Part of the support we provide member companies is to encourage them to make use of the full range of tools available, facilitate exchanges on what is and isn’t working, and provide a platform to combines resources and collaborate.

To ensure gendered HRDD is responsive, Jane captures it succinctly when she encourages us to ask if the actions members take are contributing to (organisational) culture change. Therefore, audits seen in this light may serve as monitoring mechanisms, but rarely are they conducted in a way that does contribute to change. However, potentially partnering with an NGO that works with survivors, a women-led trade union, or providing support to strengthen and empower gender committees to work effectively with management on solutions that make for a safer or respectful workplaces, may begin to shift mindsets. 

An industry-wide response

There is a recognition that GBVH requires an industry level approach, as we are fundamentally talking about reshaping the playing field. ETI’s Gender Action in Agriculture (GAIA) initiative, convenes stakeholders via a series of workshops in a sample of commercial agricultural supply chains to candidly discuss:

• What makes workers’ vulnerable to GBVH, and what makes perpetrators likely to abuse their power?
• Building on the work which has already done by ETI members and non-members, what are examples of good practice?
• How and on what can we align as an industry to reduce duplication and repetition of ineffective interventions that fail to address root causes and engage in culture change?

Through meaningful stakeholder engagement, the initiative aims to develop a set of principles that are co-developed with a range of supply chain actors – workers to buyers – which clearly articulate the role and responsibilities of stakeholders to address GBVH in a gender responsive manner.  

For more information on GRACE and GAIA at ETI, contact Heidi Chan, Gender Programme Lead, ETI.