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An energizing precursor to the Women’s International Day march Friday morning was the parallel event titled, “Violence and Precarity: Workplace Challenges and Responses” with representation from Education International, the International Trade Union Confederation, and UNI Global Union. The room overflowed with vibrant scarves, colorful banners and small fliers of trade unions from around the world, as men and women gathered for the common purpose of addressing violence in the workplace.



The prevalence of violence against women has reached incredibly high rates in recent years, affecting a woman’s ability to reach her greatest potential as a healthy and thriving member of society. This violence is oftentimes categorized as “domestic,” limiting the context of the issue to occur within the household.



Yet what would happen if we transfer this violence into the workplace? What would be revealed?



Both domestic and employee abuse are inextricably connected, however little acknowledgement has been given to investigate how these problems might be attributed to one another, or the preventative measures that might be put in place for effective resolution.



The spill-over effect



Commonly referenced as the “spill-over effect,” men are just as likely to transfer their aggression from the home to their workplace. Many women who are targeted will not report an incident, due to the fear of losing their only source of income. This paradigm has created an unstable and dangerous environment in the workplace, allowing women to remain silent about their abuse.



Unions have a significant role in shifting this paradigm for women to achieve security and equal opportunity in this context. They serve as trustworthy stakeholders for women to express their grievances, while encouraging further protection under signed corporate agreements. Unions also function as platforms of clear and constructive dialogue to ensure that accountability and transparency is enforced.



Denise McGuire, President of UNI’s World Women’s Committee, enforced this idea stating that equality must be guaranteed through “access to good education, good public services, and decent work.”



For higher standards in the workplace, women must first have equal opportunity to achieve success in all aspects of live. To do so, quality of life must be understood as a cohesive balance of the work and home environment. Unions have the responsibility to implement this notion; that women should not be victims of their lives, but liberated by their voices.



Written and shared By Stephanie Nelson, from New York

Date: March 17, 2013