by embedding elements such as master trainers in factories, platforms for sharing lessons and providing online access to learning materials, the VSCF projects have worked to ensure not only the effectiveness but also the sustainability of their interventions. Future OHS initiatives designed and delivered therefore need to ensure they are considering both physical and behavioural elements to ensure workers are protected and also consider how behavioural change will be sustained once the project has closed. b. Tackling Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and harassment through proven tools With extensive previous experience of working on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, CARE International had proven approaches and tools that could be quickly adapted within a pandemic context. Significantly, they brought to their VSCF project an understanding of the importance of addressing GBV across multiple social contexts. As part of the ‘Preventing a Garment Sector Health and Supply Chain crisis in Bangladesh’ project, CARE International provided work-place based GBV capacity building to sexual harassment committees and gender equity training for management, whilst workers were provided with a mobile based feedback app to report and share GBV related experiences. The project also targeted community groups and ward councillors so that female workers were supported within their communities. Within the home, the project organised couples counselling sessions providing mental and psychosocial support. In the meeting, with a couple’s counsellor Murshida and her husband talked through her fears for his behaviour towards her. “My husband apologised to me after coming from the meeting. He said he won’t repeat those things and would also quit drinking” Tales of Triumph Report, CARE Bangladesh, June 2021.
CARE conducted orientation on GBV for workers in 25 Marks & Spencer factories reaching 73,530 workers. Across the factories, almost 100% of female workers recorded in the endline survey, stated that they had increased knowledge on available GBV support in the factory which is an increase from 70% recorded in the baseline. Additionally, there was a 25% increase in the reliability of the factories' anti-sexual harassment committee for any support regarding GBV thus creating a sustainable mechanism for support. As part of the ‘Bridging the Gap’ VSCF project led by Impactt in partnership with Primark in Myanmar, factories were incentivised to engage on gender inequity issues such as GBV and sexual harassment through an innovative application of conditional cash transfers. If factories opted to participate in the COVID-19 and sexual harassment trainings through the programme, their workers would receive unconditional cash transfers on top of wages. Through a resilience fund, grants were provided to support cross-sector initiatives between women’s right organisations and factories to address more structural and societal issues that restrict gender equality and women's empowerment. Unfortunately, the programme had to close early due to the coup in Myanmar. Even so, this was a new and innovative concept which offers a valuable model for brands to replicate. The Impactt and ETI teams also incorporated research and analysis of factory-based sexual harassment and gender-based violence with a view to inform future project design. Impactt found 38% of workers surveyed were not sure if non-physical forms of abuse qualify as sexual harassment and 28% of the workers were unaware of the law or factory polices against sexual harassment. ETI initiated a rapid assessment in 40 RMG factories to review access to information among workers from a gender perspective. A key driver of the research has been to understand the main barriers to access information on topics such as GBV among female RMG workers with a specific attention to usage of (smart) mobile phones and internet. The survey highlighted that most women workers surveyed have less access to smartphones, internet and communication apps, and do not use social media as an information source to the same extent as their male counterparts. This data will help both organisations implement effective awareness raising and communication campaigns in the future, and both men and women equally. By bringing together UK brands, supplier factories and local NGOs within a single project, VSCF was able to apply complementary expertise and incentivise partners to deliver interventions tackling a sensitive and difficult subject matter such as GBV. Strong partnerships were built with brands and suppliers focused on GBV through ensuring a clarity of purpose, flexibility to work in a changing environment and building trust. Long standing on-going relationships amongst partners and a focus on outcomes helped ensure a swift response in a rapidly changing environment. Continued use of such tools supported by management systems, linked to referral services and training would help free workplaces from violence and harassment.
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