Private Sector Coalition formed to combat workplace Gender-Based Violence in South Africa
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In a significant step towards addressing gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace, a Private Sector Coalition (PSC) has been formed in South Africa. The initiative was announced at a symposium in Johannesburg on August 27, 2024, as a collaboration between the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund, the Presidency, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women.
The PSC is a national strategic initiative that has been curated to drive collective corporate action against GBV and harassment as a contribution to implementing Pilar 1 of South Africa’s GBVF National Strategic Plan focusing on accountability, coordination, and leadership. The initiative will create a platform for private sector entities to actively tackle GBV and harassment in the world of work in South Africa. This initiative seeks to transform corporate South Africa’s approaches to preventing and tackling GBVH beyond updating policies in line with the ILO Convention 190 (C190). GBV and harassment potentially affect over 11 million workers across South Africa. GBVH in the world of work remains a pervasive issue globally, with ILO statistics indicating that more than one in five employees (about 738 million individuals) have experienced at least one form of harassment or violence at work during their careers.
Sazini Mojapelo, CEO of the GBVF Response Fund, emphasized the importance of this effort, stating, "Everyone has the right to live and work free from violence and harassment, and addressing gender-based violence in the workplace is a moral and business imperative. The damaging impacts of gender-based violence and harassment extend far beyond the workplace, affecting individuals, families, and communities. Given the complex origins of the problem and the far-reaching social consequences, many companies ask: “Is it our business?” We think it is. And we want to work with the private sector to address the problem.”
The establishment of the PSC is aligned with global efforts to achieve gender equality, as outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-5. It also builds upon international agreements such as the International Labour Organisation's Convention 190 (C190), which South Africa ratified in November 2021. The work of the PSC in tackling GBV and harassment in the world of work will be guided by the maturity model- a comprehensive framework designed to assess and enhance private sector organizations' capacity to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) across their workplaces, supply chains, and the communities in which they operate.
Nelson Muffuh, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in South Africa, commended the initiative, describing it as part of a necessary "all-of-society approach" to dealing with gender-based violence. He reiterated the commitment of the UN in South Africa to supporting the PSC which will adopt a three-step framework hinged on the ILO C190, and coordinated by the GBVF Response Fund and the Presidency, with technical support from UN Women, ILO, JSE, and, UNFPA.
The three-step framework that the PSC will adopt includes prevention through the implementation of programs in the workplace that promote gender equality, diversity, and inclusion; protection through supportive policies and procedures to protect and promote the rights of employees; and enforcement to ensure leadership accountability to accelerate action.
The formation of this coalition represents a significant step forward in combating gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work in South Africa, with potentially far-reaching impacts on the well-being of millions of employees and their communities.
"Gender-based violence and femicide have reached endemic proportions. The role of the private sector, as the largest employer in South Africa, is critical in reversing this trend. The private sector must use leadership, financial power, and advocacy clout to reverse the status quo and address gender-based violence and sexual harassment," Dr. Hazel Gooding, UN Women Deputy Representative for the South Africa Multi-Country Office.