Is your company ready to end violence against women? Join the Orange the World campaign.
Key facts about violence against the women
Violence against women is a global issue. Worldwide, 137 women die every day at the hands of violence by a family member, partner, or ex, and 1 in 3 women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence. Unfortunately, the situation is not much better in the Netherlands, where almost 1 in 4 women experiences some type of sexual abuse or violence.
How it affects businesses
here is no question that violence against women affects businesses. For one, it occurs during business hours. 61% of employed women in the Netherlands have experienced sexual intimidation and 30% have experienced sexually transgressive behavior at work. Furthermore, violence that happens outside of office hours affects who we conduct business with. Since 1 in 5 women experience intimate partner violence, many of our employees, colleagues, clients and consumers are survivors or currently surviving a violent situation. Such violence inflicts enormous social and economic costs: women may suffer isolation, inability to work, loss of wages, lack of participation in regular activities, and limited ability to care for themselves and their children.
Orange the World campaign
Ending violence against women is therefore not just the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do for businesses. Thankfully, UN Women’s Orange the World campaign is just around the corner. This global yearly campaign offers tools to companies, local governments, and other civil society organizations to help end violence against women. It will run from November 25 until December 10, starting on the International Day of Violence Against Women and ending on International Human Rights Day. Participating in the campaign is a great way to show your company’s solidarity and condemn violence against women. Orange the World’s Business Toolkitoutlines 14 actions that companies in the Netherlands can take to create awareness, offer support to employees and customers, and commit to existing initiatives to promote gender equality, for instance by becoming a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles. The campaign also welcomes donations. The campaign also welcomes donations.
How your company can participate
Are you excited for your company to participate in Orange the World, but still unsure where to start? Join UN Women Netherlands’ special information session for companies on Thursday, October 20 from 9.30-10.30 am. You can register for the webinar via this link. Global Compact Netherlands is grateful to participate in this webinar to further emphasize the need for businesses to participate in the campaign.