GBV is recognized as a major problem worldwide, women and girls are experienced GBV in homes and workplace, the gender-based violence is described b many as the most prevalent human rights violation in the world, therefore, Gender-based violence both reflects and reinforce inequalities between women and men.
When it comes in Somaliland, the research report published on February 2017, carried out by Somaliland GBV Coalition in Maroodi-jeex and Togdheer regions, the report highlighted the main cause of reported cases in Somaliland are changing the gender norms, neglect of male responsibilities and conflict over financial resources with the rise of unemployment and abuse of substances of such a Khat, men perceived as neglecting their financial responsibilities. As women move into breadwinner roles to compensate, conflict over changing roles and over existing financial difficulties often sparked incidents of physical, sexual, and emotional violence within the home[1].
However, there are possible GBV cases that could happen in the workplace, sometimes men target Young women junior, who have recently hired in the new positions in the workplace, young women are more at risk for victimization and exploitations. The gender-based violence at work occurs at the actual place of work, and this happens in multiple forms including, Physical abuse including assault, battery, sexual violence including rape and sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Verbal and sexist abuse, Bullying, Coercion, Psychological abuse, intimidation and threats of violence, economic and financial abuse.
GBV cases that occur in the workplace have many effects on women and young women. They might be lost their jobs for challenging violent colleagues. Sometimes they lost their jobs due to the being absence of the work because of Gender-based violence in the work. Women experienced gender-based violence in the work, they might be less able to concentrate work productively, and then their payment, positions and job securities may be threatened as a result. During this situation, some women might put up with violent behaviors out of depression to keep their jobs. The worse cases that women met in the workplace contribute to losing their dignity, or sometimes, the perpetrators get exploited their weakness and finally they give up to secure their jobs. The risk of exposure to violence is often greater in jobs and sectors, where wages are low, where workers are working in volunteers for years waiting on official payroll in both formal and informal institutions, and where management accountability and transparency are low. Most of the Somali women are overrepresented in jobs mainly in domestic works, hospitality, health and social care, non-government organization, public institutions, small industry, supermarkets, and street vendors. Women who work in male-dominated workplaces are more risk for GBV. Article 36, in Constitution of Somaliland state the rights of women, “The rights, freedoms and duties laid down in the Constitution are to be enjoyed equally by men and women save for matters which are specifically ordained in Islamic Sharia” at same time article 18 states that “The conditions of work of the young and women, night working and working establishments shall be regulated by the Labor Law”. The Similar working with CEDAW- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, says: ‘State parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of employment to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, the same rights to work as an inalienable right of all human beings. This right applies equally to the same employment opportunities, including the application of the same criteria for selection in matters of employment’. Therefore, women and girls in Somaliland should learn their basic rights, at the same time, they should learn the prevention and response mechanism of GBV cases in workplaces.
Its responsibilities of the Company, organization, private and public institution to provide women and girls safety, friendly and conducive workplace, at the same time, it needs women and girls should
- Learn all their role and responsibilities, and should follow the code of conduct of the institution.
- Inform all grievances in the workplace, and report all sexual harassment cases.
- Learn the appropriate work conditions and they must seek a suitable work situation for women and girls, a safe and friendly atmosphere for female works.
- Women should learn how to report any problem existing in the workplace
- Learn the access to justice, if women and girls get harassment in the workplace, they should seek their rights and beak the taboo and silent around their issues
This newsletter recommended, the government and other partners to learn the rights of women and girls in the workplace. Every institution should promote policies and laws that protect women and girls from gender-based violence they meet in the workplace. The article is calling all women and girls in Somaliland should learn their basic rights in any sector.
[1] https://www.progressio.org.uk/sites/progressio.org.uk/files/nobody_likes_women_except…
Produced by: Somaliland GBV Coalition
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