In a landmark move to combat gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace, the GBVF Response Fund (the Fund) with the Presidency, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Women, and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), are proud to announce the formation of the Private Sector Coalition Against Gender-based Violence and Harassment in the Workplace (the PSC).
The PSC was introduced at a Private Sector Symposium held in Johannesburg today. Several CEOs and senior leaders across various industries, and other key stakeholders such as Government, and organised labour attended the event hosted by the convening partners of the PSC.
Commitment statements in support of the PSC were received from several corporate CEO’s including Mr. Sitho Mdlalose, CEO of Vodacom South Africa; Ms Nolitha Fakude, Chairman of Anglo American’s Management Board in South Africa; Ms. Shirley Machaba, CEO of PWC South Africa and Spar Group Sustainability Executive, Mr. Kevin O’Brien.
“GBVH in the workplace is not just a social ill, it has profoundly altered the life and course of South Africa’s growth. The economic cost is staggering, with lost productivity, increased absenteeism, and a toxic work environment being key characteristics of this social plague. The human cost, on the other hand, has been immeasurable. As the JSE it is important that we play our part to put measures in place as business to try stop this scourge in the workplace,” said Vuyo Lee, Director of Marketing & Corporate Affairs at the JSE.
The formation of the PSC follows the Second Presidential Summit on GBVF in November 2022, where a need for more decisive action from the private sector was highlighted. GBVH has profound economic and social consequences. The 2014 KPMG report, “Too Costly to Ignore – The Economic Impact of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa” highlighted the extensive costs associated with GBVH, including healthcare, loss of earnings, and reduced productivity. This national initiative is set to transform how the private sector prevents and addresses GBVH, impacting the well-being of over 11 million employees within South Africa.
GBVH at work remains a widespread global phenomenon, with ILO data indicating that more than one in five (22.8 percent or 743 million) persons in employment experienced at least one form of violence or harassment at work during their working life. “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 are keen to deal with GBVH. And we want to work with the private sector to address the problem,” said Sazini Mojapelo, CEO of the GBVF Response Fund.
With its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 2030 roadmap, the United Nations (UN) explicitly committed all countries to secure the rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet. SDG-5 exclusively deals with achieving gender equality and eliminating all forms of harmful practices and violence against women and girls. Hence the strong support and collaboration from the UN Agencies, with the UN Resident Coordinator Nelson Muffuh delivering a message of support. “The United Nations, through the collaborative efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women, stands firmly behind this Coalition. Our agencies bring a wealth of global experience, technical expertise, and a shared commitment to gender equality and the eradication of GBVH. We have witnessed the transformative impact that partnerships like this can have in other parts of the world, and we are confident that together, we can achieve similar success here in South Africa,” he said.
The UND SDGs paved the way for a series of global agreements such as the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 190, generally referred to as C190, which specifically recognises the importance of addressing sexual harassment in the workplace.
South Africa ratified ILO C190 on 29 November 2021, becoming the tenth country to do so. Accordingly, the Department of Employment and Labour amended the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace (the Code) to include C190 principles. The Code, which also applies to the informal sector, came into effect on 18 March 2022 and provides guidance on the policies and procedures to be implemented when harassment occurs in the workplace.
In as much as the Government needs to set an enabling environment to curb GBVH, the private sector also has to play its part. This contribution must be through actively implementing internal policies that align with C190 and the Code.
“A workforce that’s de-motivated or demoralised, or worse, physically injured or emotionally abused, will suffer lower morale and higher absenteeism. They will trigger legal, reputational, and operational risks, increase healthcare costs, become distracted from seizing new business opportunities, and fail to reach their full productive potential.
That economic reality should spur the private sector to take immediate, constructive, and preventive action,” added Mojapelo.
The PSC will be pivotal in helping the private sector develop standards, best practice protocols, and integrate preventive measures into everyday business practices, supply chains, and communities. PSC members will adopt a three-step framework, supported by ILO C190 and UN Women, and aligned with the Code, to drive initiatives and policy updates aligned to the new legislation.
The three steps include:
1. Prevention: Implementing workplace programmes that prevent GBVH before it happens
2. Protection: Protecting the rights of employees with supportive policies and procedures.
3. Enforcement: This involves leadership accountability to ensure action is accelerated.
Employees are the greatest asset of every business. When viewing an organisation from this vantage point, it is the responsibility of the business to value and care for everyone in their ecosystem, particularly employees as key company stakeholders. “This approach aims to create a ‘zero tolerance’ culture towards GBVH, fostering safer and more equitable workplaces and enabling companies to deal with gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace in a focused and transparent way, demonstrating leadership and moving labour policies and conventions like C190 to action.”
“The PSC provides a collaborative platform where companies can join forces to denounce all forms of violence and inequality at work and jointly address issues like toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and male supremacy still prevalent today. Until women are safe at home and work, and their contribution to society and the economy is recognised equitably, we cannot and will not prosper as a nation,” concluded Mojapelo.
NOTE: There is no financial obligation. Nothing but active participation and adoption of the 3-step framework is required. CEOs and HR Executives who are keen to be at the forefront of positive change in the South African private sector and who would like to align their companies with the initiatives of the PSC, can contact
- Koketso Rathumbu : Koketso@gbvfresponsefund1.org
- Busisiwe Seabe: Busisiwe@gbvfresponsefund1.org
Ends.
QUOTES FROM PSC CONVENING PARTNERS:
- Says Vuyo Lee, Director of Marketing & Corporate Affairs at the JSE:
“It is a great privilege for us at the JSE to be a part of the private sector coalition as it aims to address an issue that strikes at the very heart of the corporate community: gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace. GBVH in the workplace is not just a social ill, it has profoundly altered the life and course of South Africa’s growth. The economic cost is staggering, with lost productivity, increased absenteeism, and a toxic work environment being key characteristics of this social plague. The human cost, on the other hand, has been immeasurable. As the JSE it is important that we play our part to put measures in place as business to try stop this scourge in the workplace.”
- Says Nelson Muffuh, United Nations Resident Coordinator:
“The United Nations, through the collaborative efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women, stands firmly behind this Coalition. Our agencies bring a wealth of global experience, technical expertise, and a shared commitment to gender equality and the eradication of GBVH. “We have witnessed the transformative impact that partnerships like this can have in other parts of the world, and we are confident that together, we can achieve similar success here in South Africa.”
- Says Dr. Hazel Gooding, UN Women Deputy Representative for the South Africa Multi-Country Office.
“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.”
INFO SUPPLIED.
