Jun 26, 2020 | by Kauwel Qazi and Sarah Zoen, Oxfam America
I am not free while any woman is unfree even when her shackles are very different from my own
- Audre Lorde
Corporations have captured more economic power than entire nations. But, the coronavirus pandemic is unveiling how too many women and marginalized communities are left to the whims of corporate power. Our economy is built on a system where companies are thriving at the cost of exploiting the most vulnerable, particularly within global supply chains. Further down supply chains is where women, gender-diverse, and marginalized communities are most affected, abuse is rampant and risk exposure is high.
Women have been on the front lines in this crisis, battling in factories, in hospitals, and at home, yet they pull the short straw in the businesses and companies that rely on their work. In the US, women occupy the majority of service and low wage jobs, illustrating how heavily our economies, health, and households depend on women, many of whom are people of color and immigrants.
It is now more important than ever for us to demand companies take a feminist approach to tackle COVID-19 throughout its operations. We cannot let the powerful use the pandemic as an excuse to distract, or in some cases regress, from both short-term and transformational changes we desperately need. Why? Because neglecting to take a feminist approach, is being an active participant in social exclusion that will only widen the growing inequality and injustice women and marginalized communities face. It’s also bad for business.
Here are 10 ways companies can help build a feminist economy:
The top 50 transnational companies rely on a workforce of which a staggering 94% of employees are hidden. When women and marginalized groups are invisible or a part of the informal economy, the private sector gets away with not extending even the most basic labor and social protections to these workers.
Companies should work to develop strong commitments with all suppliers throughout operations, ensuring and requiring that women's rights be respected, understood, and clearly communicated to all employees in a way they understand.
Companies should also aim to invest in women entrepreneurs and increase sourcing from women producers where commercially viable.
Prioritize ALL workers’ health and safety by modifying paid sick leave, parental and care leave, and personal time off policies and compensating workers with hazard pay when applicable. Companies should also extend flexible work arrangements policies for its staff.
GBV affects 1 in 3 women globally. Companies should take a stand against all forms of violence against women, gender diverse and marginalized communities. They should prioritize and communicate resources on various forms of violence in communities affected by the health crisis. Few companies across the globe are using innovative tactics to identify such abuse but companies should connect with WROs for greater support to do more. Furthermore, while female frontline workers are bearing the brunt of COVID 19 in many ways, there is a growing number of reports documenting the harassment and violence women healthcare workers face. Companies should not penalize women in their workforce battling domestic violence and should integrate protections in HR policies such as include domestic violence policy leave within paid leave.
Recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work and represent caregivers. Prior to Covid-19, women and girls already battled three times the amount of unpaid care burden than men and boys. This disproportionate, unpaid and undervalued work only increased with the pandemic as women are spending more time caring for the elderly, children, the household, and their communities. Furthermore, women around the world are investing even more time on tasks such as homeschooling due to school closures or collecting water to meet hygiene demands. Companies should use the immense power they hold, to promote a shift in social norms and create a culture of a fairer distribution of care work.
Women only make up 34% of managerial positions globally. Just as we stress the importance of talking directly with workers, companies need to include the diversity of voices of women and marginalized groups in decision making spaces around a company's COVID-19 response especially as it relates to workers’ rights and protections.
Yes, it’s 2020 and we’re still having to advocate for companies to compensate equal work for equal pay. In the healthcare sector, where 67% of the global workforce is female, on the frontlines battling the virus, working longer hours and putting their health on the line. Yet, globally they are compensated less than their male counterparts in the same field. Of course, this disparity in pay is not just limited to the healthcare industry but widespread.
It’s simple - when companies don’t pay their fair share of taxes in EVERY country they are active in economically or lobby out of existence the taxes they owe society, it hurts women and marginalized communities. Corporate tax avoidance and underpayment amount to trillions of dollars that hinder investment in critical public sector social programs and services on which women and marginalized communities disproportionately depend.
Companies and their suppliers should commit to and implement the UN Women's Empowerment Principles. We see this as an important initial step for a company to make to signal internally and to the public that it is serious about addressing gender equality. It is not the only step to make and there are many that follow. Learn from companies that have made this commitment and how it can be meaningful within your company.
Sarah Zoen is a Senior Advisor with Oxfam America’s Private Sector Department. She primarily leads on improving gender equality in corporate policies and practices within the Behind the Brands implementation initiative (BtB 1.1) and manages relationships with Mars, Mondelez, Whole Foods, and Amazon for the confederation. In her 13 years at Oxfam, she held roles promoting farmworker and immigrant rights as well as working with Oxfam’s country offices on private sector engagement.
Kauwel Qazi is a Private Sector Program Specialist and Gender Focal Point at Oxfam America. In her role, she is focused on integrating a gender justice approach throughout programs, connecting resources with needs around gender, and monitoring and rolling out initiatives around gender justice such as gender analyses. Prior to Oxfam, Kauwel worked in government and nonprofit roles fostering partnerships through people to people diplomacy and public service.
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