DRIVING CULTURAL CHANGES ON ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT​ IN AN INGO

Creating a unique, victim-centred & participatory digital learning campaign (ASHW+) to drive mindset & behaviour changes for leaders & employees

THE CHALLENGE

The international NGO based in Vietnam is well known for its meaningful development work to promote women's rights, including the right to work in harassment-free environments. However, they struggle with how to fully engage their company partners who might enable harassment-prone working environments without knowing about their risks.

Although 87% of employees did not find signs of sexual harassment in their INGO, they were confused about how to identify harassment behaviours, how to apply discretionary actions to the identified misbehaviours & how to sustainably prevent harassment at work.

The challenge for the iNGO was how to make a policy solution that could fill the knowledge gap between top leaders & professional employees (supporting staff) during the early stages of policy development and help shape the behaviours needed in times of change. What’s more, the solution had to be in sync with the existing international HR/OD policies which seem to be complicated & far-reaching for potential victims who are at the lowest steps of career ladders in the iNGO.

THE SOLUTION

After 02 training workshops conducted by RespectVN experts for 40 employees, the iNGO leaders decided to test WE@work ASHW+ in their own workplace & for their own employees. The ultimate goal is to make the business case of We@work ASHW+ for themself and later for their company partners who take part of their anti-sexual harassment campaigns.

The following deliverables are expected:

• Identify gaps & propose solutions to fill gaps between the existing HR/OD* policies & the emerging (inter)national laws/standards on sexual harassment

• Develop Roadmap & Action Plan for ASHW+ (Anti-Sexual Harassment in relation to other Workplace practices) to avoid power abuse & unhealthy working environments as "quid pro quo" in sexual harassment;

• Propose a Working Mechanism & Incentive Plan for 05-10 ASHW+ Ambassadors voted by iNGO employees to deliver the Roadmap & Action Plan;

• Together with ASHW+ Ambassadors develop the ASHW+ Policy Manual* for internal application & dissemination within iNGO

*HR/OD - Human Resources & Organisational Development

*Policy Manual - Policy Manual made of infographics & presented on a landing page for conflict-free & cost-effective reference & application

THE RESULTS

Since its launch, 70% of iNGO employees got access to the WEATWORK ASHW+ platform with active participation:

• 70% of employees' opinions about ASHW+ recorded on RVN forum reaching CONSENSUS on 10 most important & controversial issues with regard to sexual harassment at workplaces

• 5/7 selected ASHW+ AMBASSADORS actively participating in the development of ASHW+ policy in the iNGO

• 80% agreed contents integrated into ASHW+ Policy Manual made of infographics (hard copy & web-based landing page)

• Leaders & professional managers/employees took part in completing the Manual in their own languages

• Leaders' commitments for supporting staff & development partners to get full access to the ASHW+ platform with their voices to be heard in any circumstances are made post-Covid19

• Leaders' decisions to transform the ASHW+ policy into the bigger premier of HR/OD with the motto "Making Org. become a safe & sound world of work for all"

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​"There are no great organizations.

There are only great people who make great organizations"

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Respect Vietnam prepares purpose-driven leaders

& people-centric organizations

in the face of the fast-changing world of work