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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
As Zimbabwe commemorates the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), there is a growing call for companies to adopt the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 190 and foster safer and more inclusive workplaces.
This convention aims to eradicate violence and harassment in the workplace, aligning with Zimbabwe’s constitutional commitment to gender equality.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting organised by the ILO on addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence and HIV/AIDS in the workplace, Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) chief executive officer, Mrs Virginia Muwanigwa, said there was need for proactive measures to prevent and address abuse in the workplace.
She said despite progress made in legislative reforms, incidents of workplace harassment persist, often going unreported or unpunished.
“In Zimbabwe, embracing Convention 190 is not merely a legal obligation, it is an opportunity to enhance the success and profitability of our industries. As we begin the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, it is our responsibility to enhance activism against GBV in the workplace.
“We acknowledge the Labour Amendment Act that domesticates critical provisions of the ILO Convention 190, particularly on defining violence and harassment, as well as criminalising such acts. However, we envisage a wider application of this law to private, public and informal spaces.”
She said the ZGC was recommending and advocating for a Gender Equality Act which would actualise the constitutional provisions on gender equality, address systemic gender disparities and combat discrimination.
Mrs Muwanigwa said poorly drafted and implemented policies as well as unhealthy organisational culture had contributed to sexual harassment among others.
These had been further exacerbated by the lack of proper reporting mechanisms and counselling services to protect those who are bold enough to report.
Gender-based violence remains a critical issue in Zimbabwe with approximately 40 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 having experienced physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their life.
In 2022 alone, over 33 000 cases of GBV were reported across the country.
ILO director Ms Philile Masuku said workplace violence and harassment including GBV were significant issues being reported worldwide.
She said up to 75 percent of women in certain professions had experienced sexual harassment.
“Discussion of mitigating sexual harassment and GBV is incomplete without the narrative of HIV infection and AIDS interventions as the intersectionality is a very significant concern. At the core of all this, are power dynamics, requiring extensive management,” she said.
Ms Masuku called for employers to recognise the interconnectedness of GBV, sexual harassment and HIV adding that addressing these issues comprehensively was not only a moral imperative but also a strategic business decision.
“As we embark on the 16 days of activism against GBV I urge all of you to take concrete steps towards implementing C190 in your respective organisations. Let us see this period to reflect on our progress, identify areas for improvement and commit to creating workplaces that are free from violence and harassment,” she said.
National Aids Council programmes director Mr Raymond Yekeye said despite progress made in responding to HIV, the country continued to record new infections among adolescents and young girls.
“We now have a whole generation that never came face to face with Aids, either in the workplace or in family settings. And these are now the people who are graduating from universities and are our new employees. We also have a generation that missed out on mother-to-child transmission and were born HIV positive. And this whole generation is now in tertiary institutions and work settings,” he said.
Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe executive director Mrs Nesta Mukwehwa said after the adoption of C190, 16 companies in Zimbabwe had been selected and had since identified gender experts and created a gender desk which was now used to operationalise the instrument.
“We have also assisted our members in reviewing their employment policies, and company policies so that they also have GBV issues taken on board. Before this convention, the only policy that was there was Sexual harassment and it was not even defined. We are in the process of reviewing company codes of conduct to see to it that the GBV issues, and clauses are also included,” she added.
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions secretary general Mr Kenias Shamuyarira also said all 48 national employment councils represented by the organisation were being encouraged to incorporate issues of GBV in the world of work in their codes of conduct.
Online Reporter