The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has called on the different national government agencies, including local government units (LGUs) to do their share in ending violence against women (VAW) in the workplace.
The call was in line with the observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women from November 25 to December 12.
“It is imperative that workplaces are kept fair, safe, and secure for women as it is where most employed women spend at least one-third of their day. This is especially critical in the public sector where half of the workforce is composed of women,” said CSC Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala.
The CSC said that based on the Inventory of Government Human Resources as of 31 May 2019, of the total 1,728,641 officials and employees in the career and non-career service, 879,524 or 50.88% are females while 849,117 or 49.12% are males.
CSC Chairperson Bala underscored that VAW can be prevented through effective HR management.
She said that VAW impacts on the physical, mental, economic, and social well-being, and when women in public service become the victims, it can hamper productivity and the quality of public services.
“Government agencies bear great responsibility in ensuring that VAW does not thrive in the workplace. HR is key to creating a safe and supportive working environment for women, one which offers not only protection against violent or controlling behavior but also opportunities for empowerment,” CSC said in a press release.
Chairperson Bala also reminded government agencies on their mandate to establish a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI), which shall receive and investigate complaints on sexual harassment, submit a report of its findings to the disciplining authority for a decision, and conduct awareness sessions on sexual harassment within the agency or institution.
“Agencies need to take a look at their workplace policies and procedures on recruitment, learning and development, performance management, and rewards and recognition and study how these can contribute to eliminating VAW. Do women employees have a voice? Are there equal career and leadership opportunities for both men and women? Is there a reliable system to report and handle sensitive cases such as sexual violence?” the CSC Chairperson further said.
The 18-Day Campaign to End VAW from November 25 to December 12 is an annual observance meant to raise awareness and ignite action for protecting the human rights of women and girls against all forms of gender-based violence. The campaign theme, “VAW-free community starts with Me”, used for years 2016 to 2021, emphasizes on primary prevention to reduce the incidents of VAW, as well as on the role of individuals, institutions, and communities in ending VAW
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