Gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) is rooted in gender inequality, abuse of power and harmful norms. We spoke to Tusitha Kumarakulasingam, Management  Consultant/ Transformation  Catalyst, Board Member and Strategy Consultant WCIC on the above.

Q  WHAT DOES GBVH MEAN, AND DOES IT HAPPEN ONLY IN THE WORKPLACE? GBVH covers a wide spectrum and stands for ‘Gender-Based Violence and Harassment. ‘ It refers to any harmful act that is perpetrated against an individual based on their gender, often causing physical, sexual, psychological, or economic harm. GBVH can manifest in various forms, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and honour killings, among others. It is a pervasive issue globally and affects individuals of all genders, although women and girls are disproportionately affected. GBVH is a violation of Human Rights and often requires comprehensive efforts from governments, organisations, communities, and individuals to prevent and address effectively. GBVH on women is widespread and could happen at home, in transport, in the community, at the workplace etc. We are focusing on the workplace as we are interested in ensuring that the place she works is safe for her. This year we are driving inspire inclusion and one of the key actions for inclusion would be a safe work environment.

Q WHAT IS CLASSIFIED UNDER GBVH? The WCIC undertook extensive quantitative research, done by the world’s number one research agency – Kantar, among women, including women entrepreneurs to understand the perceptions related to this area. This was a project done in collaboration with the Center for International Private Enterprise. (CIPE) We tried to assess the levels of awareness, the experience of being a victim and knowledge on what action they could take in the event they faced with GBVH. In the three areas, we had a very interesting outcome – with very high awareness and high levels of experience, but when it came to their rights and action they could take, the understanding was quite low.

Q WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT GBVH? Primarily women need to be educated on their rights, they need to be made aware that GBVH is not an accepted behaviour, and they don’t have to be subjected to it for any reason. They need to be told that reporting unacceptable behaviour that can come under GBVH is not an option but a must, irrespective of the rank of the perpetrator. Organisations must create an environment that is safe for women. They need to have policies and processes which are meaningful and just. Similarly encouraging the victims to make a complaint is an important step. For people to feel comfortable in doing so the organisation has to display unbiased action in a situation. Every organisation must walk the talk.

Q WHY DO VICTIMS OF GBVH NOT REPORT SUCH INCIDENTS? It was very clear according to the study that 80% of the time they do not report as they do not have faith in the system to have justice delivered. The victims felt that most times they would be found fault for indicating that they were responsible for what happened. And if the perpetrator is a senior in the system the management will just talk to them to change their behaviour, which will never deliver desired results but further aggression. As we mentioned earlier the knowledge of “rights” is a subject that has very little rating. Further they are convinced acting based on the existing legal framework is cumbersome.

Q WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR GBVH? A complex question to answer, there could be a lot of reasons for this. Gender stereotyping could be one reason. But GBVH victims experience harassment not only from the opposite gender, there are many times that the same gender GBVH happens in organisations. When it happens in an organisation and is not given attention to prevent it, it can become a deterrent to having a culture of a safe and comfortable environment. As a country, we need to inculcate diversity and inclusion with children as early as possible. Discrimination based on gender is a cultural limitation. Boy children as well as girl children should be taught, that they have the same rights although biologically different. Teaching boys to engage in activities that are classified as girls will be a key step in the right direction. They will then learn to accept that gender discrimination is not acceptable and GBVH might be nonexistent. We do see the equal sharing of duties in the younger generation even up to the extent of jointly caring for the baby. Some organisations have gone the extra mile to provide Paternity Leave for young families.

Q DOES GBVH EXIST IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS, HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS HANDLE THIS? We found that in the public sector, it is even more pronounced. They seem to face more issues.

Q SHOULD THE PERSON WHO FACED GBVH, DISCUSS THE SAME WITH THE PERPETRATOR? That would defy the purpose, if at all they should use a well-established process in the company to handle such issues. Bearing it silently is not healthy for the individual, and it would create an environment where perpetrators could feel that they can get away with such behaviour.

Q WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR THOSE WHO FACE GBVH? Within the organisation, they should resort to making a complaint to the relevant authority, if a clearcut process and policies exist. But through the research, we found that even in organisations where the guidelines are present it is not so easy when it comes to implementation. Most felt that justice didn’t prevail. Alternatively, legal action can also be sought, although this is not a simple step, it would require a fair amount of time and money.

Q HOW CAN WCIC INTERVENE IF THERE IS GBVH IN AN ORGANIZATION? With the current project we have embarked on what we do is more holistic, we work on creating awareness in the organisations related to the rights of women, and we encourage and support the establishment of a code of conduct for all employees, with regular communication to keep the members aware. We also will work on policy advocacy to prevent GBVH at the workplace, currently, the topic is on the radar but no substantial progress has been made as a country. ILO C190 ratification would provide a good start towards the prevention of GBVH on women in the country. So far Sri Lanka has not taken that step.

Q DOES GBVH AFFECT THE PERSON, DOES IT IMPACT THE BUSINESS? Yes, it does, both mentally and physically. They will not perform at their optimum level if they are victims. Most claimed they were unable to perform, had a negative impact on their well-being, reputational damage and eventually might even leave the job. IFC has done an extensive research on the topic. They have created a “ Business case for a respectful workplace” and they have been able to estimate the loss to businesses if GBVH is not addressed.

Q ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT GBVH IN THE WORKPLACE? It is a topic that needs way more attention, and it should become everyone’s responsibility. All of us should be aware of what consists of GBVH and how it can be prevented and eradicated. The laws of the country can address them more effectively as well. We see many organisations working in this space in isolation. Collaborative efforts can bring more traction and greater impact. WCIC works on this project with CIPE and we have indicated our interest to join hands with IFC as well.

By Kshalini Nonis