A survey by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) last year found two-thirds of businesses believe the pandemic had increased employees’ experiences of domestic and sexual violence.
In this regard, the IFC is partnering with the Australia Pacific Training Coalition to offer a 12-day Train the Trainers course on workplace responses to gender-based violence.
A statement from the IFC stated the course would instruct professionals on training other staff to address gender-based violence, helping create gender equal and safer workplaces.
It stated that the IFC’s approach to working with companies to address gender-based violence had been tested across the Pacific, helping businesses build safe and resilient workplaces during the pandemic.
In the statement, IFC Resident Representative for Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu, Deva De Silva said: “Companies and their employees across the Pacific are contending with the many stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a likely increase in gender-based violence.”
“Investing in training to build safe and resilient workplaces is both good business and the right thing to do,” he added.
