The creation of a regional joint policy by the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) and the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) to address gender-based violence (GBV) in the workplace is just the beginning. Implementation will require the changing of deeply ingrained cultural values across the Caribbean.
Organisation presidents Wayne Chen and Andre Lewis, respectively, made similar statements at the virtual signing of the policy, facilitated by the Cipriani College of Labour & Co-Operative Studies. The positions are an expansion of the UNFPA’s Spotlight Initiative, where Caribbean employers and labour unions will collaborate to address gender-based violence at the workplace level.
Chen said the two organisations began working on the policy documents on April 6, and with the assistance of the college had held two workshops on May 18 and June 8 with 47 companies and 50 labour union representatives across 18 Caribbean countries to develop and finalise the policies.
“The policy will serve as a guide for employers to address GBV at two levels: primary prevention by informing employers and employees what GBV looks like, so it can be prevented before it occurs, and secondary prevention by protecting and/or reducing the risk of exposure to violence against women and girls (VAWAG).”
He said the CEC pledged to promote the adoption and distribution of the policy across its 14 member states.
“We still have some distance to go in making the policy truly incorporated into the mindsets of our leaders, employers and workers. Before this year ends the CEC will continue to raise awareness of the policy through an engaging online campaign, which will heighten awareness of GBV and encourage behaviour change across the region. There will also be regional training that will achieve national employers’ associations to achieve this goal. This policy is just the beginning, committed not only to shaping workplace policy but to changing workplace culture and engender a zero-tolerance approach to GBV.”
UNFPA Caribbean sub-regional liaison Aurora Noguera-Ramkissoon said the Spotlight Initiative focuses on the specific type of GBV that is most prevalent in a particular region.
“Globally we know that 1 in 3 women will experience GBV in their lives worldwide. In the Caribbean, recent studies published by UN Women note that there’s an average lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence of 45 per cent, with significant risk for women who are victims of domestic abuse being killed by intimate partners or family members. As such in the Caribbean the focus of the Spotlight Initiative has been on family violence.
“We recognise that the workplace is an important and strategic place to disrupt GBV. Why the workplace? Most people spend at least eight hours at work, so violence at home can be compounded when there is a lack of supporting structures in the workplace and there is an environment of harassment or inequality.”
She said the same report said over 75 per cent of t
