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Preventing Violence and Harassment at Work

A woman working at a sewing machine looks up from her work. Behind her, many other women work at their stations.
Dignified Work

Garment factory managers in Asia are taking action to make women feel safer at work. CARE wants to work with more employers to tackle this deeply rooted issue.

Background

Global media has shown that sexual harassment can take place in any industry. The garment supply chain is no exception. The situation can change if women and men, workers and employers, join together to create work cultures of respect, where harassment is not tolerated. Around the world, this shift is starting to take place—and the garment industry can play an important role.

Companies worldwide are committing to ensuring their workers are valued, respected and free from violence in the workplace. Violence against women is a cost for national economies, industry and individual businesses. CARE’s research in Cambodia estimated the indirect costs of sexual harassment through reduced productivity, revenue loss, and missed days of work could add up to as much as USD $89 million per year.*

We published What works? Reducing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Rapid Review of Evidence to support businesses wanting to change this.

Global brands are leading a shift to prevent and respond to harassment in their supply chains, investing in CARE’s sexual harassment prevention activities in factories they work with. We want to partner with more companies within the garment industry who wish to take steps to prevent sexual harassment in their value chains.

Intervention

So how are we supporting industry change?

  • In partnership with Better Factories Cambodia we developed standardized guidelines for addressing sexual harassment at all levels of the garment supply chain.
  • The STOP program supported brands and factories in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to improve their workplace response to sexual harassment.
  • Our collaboration with Better Work brought together stakeholders at the industry event The Business of Women at Work to discuss workplace harassment.
  • Through events such as the Learning Summit organized with Better Work we share industry learning and document examples of best practice.
  • Our work strengthening women’s collective voice is supporting women to take action against the increase in abuse during the pandemic and insist abusive supervisors are held accountable.
  • Our engagement with unions is increasing union negotiation and advocacy to prevent violence and harassment in factories.
  • Our advocacy has helped influence national-level support for improved global legislation preventing violence and harassment at work and strengthened national labor laws.
  • Our collaboration with partners such as Business Fights Poverty is ensuring companies can access best practice tools for tackling gender-based violence at work.

Learn why businesses want to work with CARE

Impact

See the impact of CARE’s sexual harassment prevention work

Resources

Creating Ethical Supply Chains

How robust research & practical tools can influence industry.

Read more

Protecting Workers from Harassment

How effective engagement is influencing government policy.

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Regional Reflection: Enhancing Women’s Voice to STOP Sexual Harassment (STOP) Project – Impacts & Lessons

Consolidation of key findings from CARE’s work to address sexual harassment in factories across four countries in South-East Asia.

Read more on CARE Evaluations

Impact Summary: Enhancing Women’s Voice to STOP Sexual Harassment (STOP)

An overview highlighting the impact of CARE’s work to address sexual harassment in factories across four countries in South-East Asia

Read the report on CARE Evaluations

‘I know I cannot quit.’ The Prevalence and Productivity Cost of Sexual Harassment to the Cambodian Garment Industry

CARE’s research estimates sexual harassment has a cost to the industry in Cambodia of as much as USD 89 million per annum. (March 2017)

Read the report

What works? Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Rapid Review of Evidence

CARE completed a review of promising practices to drive an evidence-based approach to reducing sexual harassment in the garment industry. (November 2018)

Read the report

What Works? A summary of CARE’s evidence review

Highlights from CARE’s rapid review of promising practices to reducing sexual harassment in the workplace. (November 2018)

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Sexual Harassment and Garment Manufacturing in the Mekong: Legal Frameworks

CARE’s report outlines the legislative or regulatory frameworks on or related to sexual harassment in the workplace, both at national and international levels, with particular focus on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. (November 2018)

Read the report

This Is Not Working: Stopping Sexual Harassment in Workplaces Across our Region

CARE Australia’s report on violence and harassment in the world of work that outlines the key arguments for the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention. (April 2018)

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This Is Not Working: A Global Opportunity for Change

CARE Australia’s report on violence and harassment in the world of work that outlines the key arguments for the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention. (March 2019)

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Preventing Violence and Harassment at Work - Full Report

An exploration of the prevalence and productivity cost of sexual harassment Cambodian garment industry.

Read the report

What Works? Reducing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

A rapid review of evidence and recommendations intended to provide principles to guide responses and prevention.

Read the report