All organisations should have policies on sexual harassment and domestic violence, says Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali.
She said this in response to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Supporting gender equal workplaces in Fiji report that Fijian businesses were losing 10 days of lost work per employee each year because of female workers experiencing domestic or sexual violence.
“I would totally agree with it because we have said that many years ago, the crisis centre has always talked about the development cost of violence against women and one of them is in the work sector,” she said.
“We had a seminar many years ago where speakers talked about loss of productivity and about women being away from work and not being able to perform.
“When we understand the trauma women go through and the impact of domestic violence on women — they are worried, depression, mental health issues as the result of all of that.”
Ms Ali said the issue would also take its toll on men and their productivity would subsequently be impacted.
She said it was pleasing to note that some businesses were beginning to put policies in place.
“We need to sensitise so that people are aware — because in the past women used to get sacked or were asked to resign because people didn’t understand the dynamics.”
Ms Ali also said perpetrators needed to be taken to task.
