How public sector trade unions can address GBV

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6 months ago
6 months ago

How public sector trade unions can address GBV

Public sector trade unions represent thousands of workers at all levels of their focus sector. These unions enjoy statutory rights to engage with governments and other stakeholders, for example, in negotiating policies and collective agreements. Hence, the unions are well-positioned to confront gender-based violence (GBV) in their work settings and more broadly.

Here we suggest six actions that public sector unions can take to build and improve the strategies for ending gender-based violence in their contexts. The suggestions are drawn from the experience of teacher unions in combatting gender-based violence in educational settings in seven countries in Africa.

1. Look inward: Empower union members by strengthening internal decision-making structures to end GBV

It is possible to bring about positive change when we know our rights, come together and take action to defend them. Use a similar approach to end gender-based violence in the union’s settings.

What to do: Change the union’s formal decision-making structures to enhance representation and catalyse action to end gender-based violence.

Actions to take:

Mandate specific positions and structures to advance work to ending GBV at all levels of the union
Enhance women’s participation in decision-making spaces to advance gender equality
Create opportunities for young union members to organise and tackle GBV
Honour the members living with disabilities and albinism, and LGBTI members
Hold responsible the entities accountable for advancing GBV initiatives

Zambia Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) modified its constitution to establish youth committees at the national and provincial levels. The National Youth Committee comprises five women and five men representing all regions of the country and has a Director who reports to the ZNUT Gender Director. Youth Committee members take active leadership in combatting School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) in their local areas.

South Africa The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) Charter of Professionalism states: “NAPTOSA members accept that we are leaders in our communities and acknowledge that this may require us to speak out when others remain silent; to be innovative in solving problems when others wait for instruction; to obey the dictates of our own conscience, even when this is inconvenient.”

2. Own the issue: Embed the commitment to end GBV in policy frameworks

Demonstrate the shared goal of ending GBV in the union by embedding the members’ intentions into the framing documents that define the trade union. Affirming and formalising the commitment to work on GBV into policies at all levels ensures it holds enduring legitimacy within the union membership.

Actions to take:

Adopt formal resolutions on GBV
Entrench the union’s commitment to ending GBV in the constitution
Update gender equality policies to target GBV
Adopt other internal policies for making the union free of GBV, for example, sexual harassment policies and standing orders.

South Africa South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) updated its gender policy to include, "eradication of gender-based violence and other forms of violence against women, girls and boys", as one of its specific goals and noted that addressing SRGBV is “key to the attainment of gender equality.”

Ethiopia Ethiopia Teachers Association Gender Policy states: “The association shall take the necessary measures against its members whenever they are found guilty of committing sexual harassment and provide the necessary support to make the guilty legally liable.”

3. Walk the talk: Resource the union’s GBV initiatives

Find creative and sustainable practices to resource the union’s initiatives for ending GBV. Some actions to take to translate the union’s intentions into long-lasting action:

Integrate GBV-related programmes into annual work plans and budgets
Mainstream GBV awareness-raising activities into other ongoing programmes;
Use regular internal communications instruments to sensitise members;
Collect and analyse data from members about their understanding and experience of GBV

Uganda Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has integrated SRGBV messaging into its campaigns and regular training throughout Uganda. The programmes make visible the threat SRGBV poses to quality education and the well-being of teachers. Given its reach, UNATU estimates it has engaged roughly 150,000 teachers in discussions on SRGBV and the union’s role in fighting it.

Kenya The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) appointed four classroom teachers in four different districts to carry out work on SRGBV in their respective classrooms, schools and districts. The union mandated these teachers to explore how peer-to-peer interactions between teachers at the school level might bring about changes in the school community. Through this approach, KNUT created a ripple effect that’s helping to change behaviours and challenge norms that sustain SRGBV.

The Gambia Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) organises study circles that bring together chairpersons of schools to read and discuss newspaper articles on cases of SRGBV. The chairpersons bring together the school representatives into the study circles to capacitate them to set up SRGBV clubs with learners in their respective schools. GTU also developed resources on corporal punishment, sexual abuse and reporting incidences.

Ethiopia Ethiopia Teachers Association's research on violence against girls in secondary schools informed the union's recommendations to different stakeholders, including federal government ministries. A complementary study culminated in a School Violence Index (SVI). The SVI provides a user-friendly guide on designing and facilitating a participatory violence self-assessment by school management, ETA members, learners and local communities.

South Africa SADTU approached Regenesys Business School to customise a post-graduate diploma in public management for its members, including a module on SRGBV. 15 SADTU leaders undertook the programme, which comprised a component of action research that enabled the union to better analyse and document the union's GBV initiatives and how it manages specific cases. SADTU then produced a framework to shape its future SRGBV-related efforts.

4. Reach out: Build solidarity and alliances

While the union can make significant gains in addressing GBV by engaging its broad membership, it cannot do it alone. The union can collaborate with other stakeholders to shape policy and practice.

Actions to take:

Collaborate with other unions to address GBV
engage in multi-stakeholder dialogue to address GBV
collaborate with the government to shape policies that address GBV

Ethiopia ETA has representation in the government's SRGBV complaints, investigations and decision-recommending committees. This gives the union statutory authority to investigate and determine the outcome of SRGBV cases involving both learners and the association’s members. ETA provides training to its members who sit on these committees.

Zambia The three Education International member unions in Zambia - BETUZ, SESTUZ and ZNUT –work closely to end SRGBV and have coordinated their efforts to ensure leadership training for tertiary learners focused on young women and SRGBV issues.

The Gambia Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) uses participatory approaches to support communities in finding local solutions to preventing SRGBV. The Bantaba (traditionally a meeting place under a large tree) brings village members together, seated in a circle, to discuss experiences and possible actions in their own language. The union also organises press conferences at the end of each Bantaba to further popularise the issues raised. The Bantabas are central to GTU’s capacity-building work with women and young people.

5. Break the silence: Engage the media

Engage the media to raise awareness of gender-based violence more broadly in the general public.

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) has involved local and traditional communicators in the campaign to address SRGBV. Working with the Town Crier who beats the drum and folk singers and musicians who convey messages in songs, the union is successfully initiating a discourse on early marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Zambia BETUZ raises awareness of SRGBV through a live radio show on the national broadcaster and local radio station in Central province. The broadcasts reach teachers, learners and the broader community. The radio discussions on SRGBV have enhanced BETUZ’s profile as an organisation committed to ending SRGBV. As a result, other media sources now turn to the union for reliable information and informed opinions when reporting on incidents of SRGBV.

6. Empowering workers: Union members help workers to understand their rights and voice their concerns

Shop stewards are well-placed to empower workers to prevent and respond to SRGBV. If workers understand their rights, learn to recognise GBV and know who to talk to if they witness or experience abuse, they can become active agents in ending it.

Uganda Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) developed and distributed 120 school compound sign points (Talking Compounds), as part of its campaign to end child labour and early marriages.

Kenya Members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers place “NO TO SRGBV” posters on all classroom doors. They post newspaper articles telling stories of SRGBV on classroom walls and facilitate conversations with students. Suggestion boxes allow victims or witnesses of abuse – verbal, emotional or physical – to speak out anonymously.