GBVH
The Gender Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) Policy describes the rights and responsibilities of WRC Workers, Other Persons, and Supervisors when confronted with GBVH. The policy provides a definition of GBVH, as well as other key terms related to the concept. There are additional resources that offer examples of what might constitute GBVH, as well as where and when it might occur and who might commit it, so that, with proper training, all employees of the WRC will be able to identify GBVH if they are subjected to it or a bystander of it.
The policy also outlines the various actions that can be taken by individuals in response to GBVH and the obligations of the organization in response to reports of GBVH. These guidelines and procedures have been drafted so as to prioritize the privacy and comfort of persons impacted by GBVH, while also ensuring that the organization is proactive in its response to reports of GBVH and undertakes holistic efforts to protect employees from continued exposure to GBVH. This includes offering multiple channels to report instances of GBVH (managers, shop steward, taskforce, etc.) in addition to laying out the available independent bodies to investigate complaints (GBVH Taskforce, third parties, etc.).
More so, the policy lays out special rights and resources that will be made available to persons impacted by GBVH, both in the Workplace and outside. These rights and resources aim to protect persons impacted from GBVH from further exposure to violence and harassment, give them the time and tools to address violence and harassment, as well as ancillary concerns related to instances of violence and harassment, and offer space to recover and heal from the effects of GBVH. The policy obligates the WRC to provide certain special rights to persons impacted by GBVH and also offer guidance and access to external tools and resources as well.
The policy was initially drafted by the WRC’s GBVH committee with input from the staff and has been approved by the WRC Governing Board.
Glossary of Key Words
Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the Workplace is violence and/or harassment, including sexual harassment, directed at Workers by Other Persons or directed at Other Persons by Workers in the Workplaces because of their sex, sexual orientation, gender, and/or gender identity, or affecting persons of a particular sex, sexual orientation, or gender disproportionately (“Gender-Based Violence and Harassment,” “GBVH”). We recognize that GBVH can take different forms; we have a reference that includes some forms of GBVH. This list is not exhaustive and is only meant to illustrate some examples. If you are unsure if something is an incident of GBVH, please see these examples and/or contact a member of the GBVH Committee or Investigation Taskforce to help you determine if you would like to make a report.
Other Persons includes Workers, managers, board members, advisory board members, allies, brands, factories, vendors, contractors, colleagues in the labor movement and human right movements, and may include other actors encountered while in the Workplaces (“Other Persons”).
Supervisors means any Worker, except for interns and applicants for work, when they are directing and/or overseeing the work of another Worker, regardless of whether or not they are doing so in a managerial capacity (“Supervisors”).
Workers means all individuals working for the WRC regardless of their contractual status, including US staff, field staff, contractors, persons in training, workers on probation, interns, and applicants for work (“Workers”).
Workplaces includes the WRC offices, the office building, and premises within which the WRC resides, as well as any other location of work or work-related travel, training, or business or social activities of the WRC, and any work-related communications between or concerning Workers and Other Persons that are enabled by information and communication technologies (“Workplaces”).