Browse by Theme: Reviewed 2021

Violence and harassment in the world of work is not just a labour issue but a societal issue, particularly given the ‘shadow pandemic’ of gender-based violence resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. How are national and regional organisations taking action to ensure workers are protected from violence—and what has been learnt about what works?

Co-authored by Hester Le Roux and Siddikur Rahman

As the Generation Equality Forum kicks off in Mexico City this week, we pause to reflect on all the challenges women still face on the road to equality and equity – especially given wide recognition that the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women disproportionately, threatening to set back the gender equality agenda by years, if not decades.

2020 saw the greatest challenges the garment industry – and its workers – have faced. At the end of five years of intense focus on the rights of women working in garment supply chains, CARE’s Made by Women strategy reflects on what has – and has not – changed for workers.

Time and again it becomes clear that when women are economically empowered, the whole community benefits. That’s why supporting women to start a business is a core focus of CARE. Via, for example, training and access to finance, such as through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), women worldwide are finding a way out of poverty.

Responding to COVID-19 in the world's largest humanitarian crisis

CARE International UK CEO Laurie Lee hosts a discussion with Bushra Aldukhainah and Lina Al-Saffi – who are both working on the frontline of CARE’s response to COVID-19 in Yemen.

Recorded on Thursday 21 May 2020.

“I’ve been doing this work for 30 years, so to come to a space like this and have everyone in the room start from a place of ‘we have a problem’ is powerful.” - Robin Runge, Senior Gender Specialist, Solidarity Center.

The safe space referred to above was the recent Business of Women at Work event, where more than 150 garment industry stakeholders from 10+ countries across Asia gathered to discuss solutions to the challenge of violence and harassment within supply chains.

CARE International and Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) are working together to improve how factories prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This collaboration illustrates the benefits of partnership between organisations who share similar goals.