Addressing gender-based violence in the workplace in India
In many workplaces around the world, workplace harassment is normalised or little understood. Our team in India has created a programme aimed to tackle this often systemic issue.
The Maitri initiative sets out to improve people’s understanding of Gender-Based Violence and Harassment and give women someone to turn to at work. Peers in the workplace are trained as ‘maitris’, meaning ‘friends’ in Sanskrit, who act as gender champions to challenge perceptions towards women and offer a way for people to raise issues they experience. The training is led by St John’s Medical College from Bangalore.
The project is having an impact, with workplace and domestic issues being raised through the maitris. Primark and St John’s Medical College support factory management teams to address those issues raised that are relevant to the workplace.