The Key Changes Workplaces Can Make To Help Address Violence Against Women

Content warning: This article discusses domestic violence in a way that may be distressing to some readers.

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual or domestic violence and is in need of support, please call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), the National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Service.

According to the Australian Institute Of Health and Welfare, one in five women will experience some form of sexual violence by age 15. The stats are alarming and, unfortunately, in the past ten years, they haven't improved. Reported instances of violence increased between 2010 and 2020, and in 2019 and 2020, 20 people over the age of 15 were hospitalised every single day due to assault by a partner or other family member.

While confronting, these figures only paint part of the picture of what domestic and sexual violence currently looks like in Australia. According to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, "Violence against women is any act of gender-based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of harm or coercion, in public or in private life".

While abuse comes in many forms, there's one resounding element that rings true: research repeatedly shows that violence against women is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality, impacting people across all levels of all communities, every single day. 

So, how does Australia even begin to tackle such a widespread issue?

"We can prevent violence against women if we create a gender-equal society. Violence against women is a common issue in Australia and across the world; it’s widespread and it’s of epidemic proportions. It is also preventable and not a given," Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly tells Refinery29 Australia.

"Apart from the sheer unbearable human suffering by those experiencing violence, including the children who might witness it, violence against women causes enormous financial costs for Australians in general," she states. "In 2015 and 2016, this cost was estimated at $22 billion a year, with victim-survivors bearing the primary cost burden, and the Commonwealth and state and territory governments the second biggest, with costs to health, administration and social welfare."

Our Watch is a leadership body that works to prevent violence against women and children in Australia. They work alongside TAFEs and universities, sporting codes, workplaces, communities and the media, to address the causes of violence and what can be done to prevent it.

One of Our Watch's many partnerships includes an ongoing relationship with Australian accessories brand Mimco — in which the brand donates 100% of profits made on International Women's Day to Our Watch. Since 2016, Mimco has donated over $1.6 million to Our Watch — helping Our Watch create 'Because Why' — a campaign made for parents to challenge gender stereotypes for their children and teach the importance of gender equality from an early age.

Kinnersly reflects on the partnership as an example of how different sectors of the community (in this case, a business and a not-for-profit organisation) can work together to create social change. It's also an example of how workplaces can actively address the drivers of violence against women and bring the issue to the front of mind among staff. Mimco’s Managing Director, Sarah Rovis said in a statement that they're "extremely proud" of their longstanding partnership as it has helped Mimco further evolve their own DEI Strategy and improve equity in the workplace.

Kinnersly says workplaces play a pivotal role in creating this change. After all, full-time workers spend, on average, around 2000 hours a year at work, so the values and attitudes present in these spaces undeniably reverberate in other aspects of life.

Kinnersly stresses that workplaces must tackle gender equality on multiple different fronts to help end violence against women. For example, focusing on the gender pay gap, while also offering flexible work arrangements, and encouraging parental leave that allows both women and men to balance career and family are all important.

"Boards, CEOs and senior leadership teams need to lead this change by calling out disrespect towards women and responding appropriately to perpetrators of violence at work, while simultaneously creating a workplace culture that fosters and promotes equality," says Kinnersly. "They can improve their business by listening and responding to ideas and suggestions from a diverse workforce and customer base. "

She also states that workers must also show leadership in this regard — from not laughing at sexist jokes around the office, to calling out disrespectful behaviour towards women and girls.

"It can feel uncomfortable initially, but it’s the little things that bring change, and you might notice that your behaviour encourages others to stand up, as well," she says.

Kinnersly acknowledges that factors like social media, the #MeToo movement and policy change have helped bring the conversation around violence against women to the forefront. But she also explains that there is still a long way to go in terms of how the media reports on these instances — a significant factor in the public's perception of the issue.

"Research shows that reporting on violence against women tends to ignore intersectional aspects and background information, which victims — for instance, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and First Nations people — face. Sometimes media reports these crimes as isolated incidents rather than an issue of epidemic size," says Kinnersly.

She noted that one of Our Watch's priorities is working closely with the media to create training programs to encourage reporting that's free of bias, stereotyping, sensationalism and potential victim-blaming that can divert public opinion from the actual cause of violence against women.

"With widespread awareness comes the widespread change that needs to happen across social norms, structures, attitudes, practices and power imbalances that underpin, drive and support violence against women," says Kinnersly.

While International Women's Day can often be filled with glossy quotes on Instagram tiles and corporate cupcakes, Kinnersly notes that it's also an opportunity to stop for a moment and celebrate what women all over the world have achieved. 

"We are still calling for equal pay and removal of the barriers that prevent gender equality," states Kinnersly.

"Society benefits when all women are safe, equal and healthy."

This year Mimco will once again donate 100% from International Women’s Day to Our Watch. You can support Mimco's efforts by purchasing any item in-store or online.