UNFPA and Private Sector's Joint Effort to Enhance Women's Workplace Health and Empowerment

Empowering Women Through Workplace Health Services - A Joint Effort of UNFPA and the Private Sector

Introduction:

In a global landscape where approximately 190 million women contribute to industrialized supply chns, particularly in countries experiencing significant unmet needs for women's health services, access barriers often hinder their ability to address essential health issues. Women working in these sectors frequently struggle with obtning reproductive health care, protection agnst harassment and violence, and fr wages.

Engaging businesses that host large female labor forces offers a transformative opportunity to enhance access to crucial women’s health services like family planning and maternal care. These companies can serve as pivotal change agents by addressing the health needs of their female employees, who often face difficulties in accessing these services due to various constrnts such as information scarcity, financial limitations, or long working hours.

The integration of workplace health initiatives is a strategic approach that empowers women not only with better control over their reproductive rights but also enables them to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives both personally and professionally. It fosters increased engagement in the workforce, encourages dialogue between employers and employees on critical issues, and ultimately benefits businesses through enhanced productivity.

UNFPA's Collaboration:

UNFPA recognizes that harnessing private sector support for delivering sexual and reproductive health services within a company can significantly amplify impact and help achieve transformative results toward women’s empowerment. By partnering with corporations, we m to ext the reach of sexual and reproductive health programs beyond traditional public sector frameworks, enhancing access in sectors previously underserved.

Country-Specific Partnerships:

In the Philippines, UNFPA collaborates with 30 private entities that employ around 2.5 million workers across formal and informal settings. Through partnerships, we provide women's reproductive health education sessions conducted by trned company staff. This initiative includes the development of a Return on Investment ROI tool to highlight how investing in workplace health benefits businesses financially. Since the partnership inception in 2015, this collaboration has reached over 14 individuals with family planning information.

In Sri Lanka, UNFPA works with MAS Holdings - South Asia's leading lingerie manufacturer and largest employer of women. As they account for nearly 70 of their workforce consisting of women employees in both local and overseas branches, a partnership was formed to strengthen corporate policies addressing ger disparities within the work environment. A tlored program has been developed that includes awareness sessions on ger-based violence and equality principles. Discussions are currently underway for potential expansion.

In Bangladesh, UNFPA collaborates with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association BGMEA, ming to provide access to healthcare services in garment factories. This initiative also focuses on rsing awareness about rights and protection agnst violence and harassment at both workplace and home levels. Although we've reached over 200,000 workers so far, this number represents a small fraction of the total workforce estimated at five million garment workers.

Innovations targeting marginalized sectors like tea pickers in Bangladesh are also under development, addressing their unique challenges and needs through innovative programs that ensure their protection agnst exploitation and harassment.

:

UNFPA's partnership with businesses is more than just an alliance; it's a concerted effort to empower women by enhancing their health access. By integrating workplace health services, we're fostering a more productive work environment while ensuring the rights of women are upheld. Together, through these collaborative initiatives across countries, we are moving towards building healthier and empowered societies.

Contact Information:

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