Empowering Women through SexualReproductive Health: A Corporate Responsibility

Empowering Women in the Workplace through Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Introduction:

Approximately 190 million women are part of global supply chns, predominantly located in countries with high unmet needs for women's health services. These female workers often struggle to access crucial healthcare services due to barriers such as lack of information, financial constrnts, or working schedules that limit their avlability to public health facilities.

Engaging businesses with large female-focused global supply chns holds immense potential in improving access to women's reproductive health services. Such engagement can be pivotal for overcoming barriers faced by workers, thereby enabling them to realize their sexual and reproductive rights more effectively. Businesses have the opportunity to play an active role in creating a healthier workforce that is empowered and enjoys better decision-making capabilities.

The impact on businesses:

Companies can benefit from increased worker productivity, reduced absenteeism due to health issues, and improved brand reputation as socially responsible organizations. Furthermore, workplace health programs are shown to foster employee engagement and dialogue between employers and employees, thus strengthening organizational culture and performance.

UNFPA's role:

UNFPA is leveraging its partnerships with the private sector to deliver sexual and reproductive health services within workplaces as a complement to public healthcare systems. This collaborative approach maximizes the impact of sexual reproductive health programs while achieving UNFPA's transformative objectives.

Country examples:

• In the Philippines, UNFPA has partnered with 30 companies reaching over 2.5 million private sector workers in formal and informal sectors through women's reproductive health initiatives. The program focuses on providing accurate family planning information sessions by trned staff at participating companies. Since its inception in 2015, this partnership has reached approximately 14,000 individuals with family planning services.

• In Sri Lanka, UNFPA is collaborating with MAS Holdings - the largest employer of women in South Asia, employing over 87,000 associates globally, 70 of whom are women. The focus is on addressing gender disparities and gaps within the company's policies and programs through awareness campgns agnst gender-based violence and promoting gender equality.

• In Bangladesh, UNFPA is working with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association BGMEA to provide health services for garment workers, focusing on rights protection from violence and harassment at work as well as home. The program educate 5 million garment workers, but currently only reaches approximately 200,000 due to limited coverage.

• UNFPA is also addressing the needs of marginalized tea workers in Bangladesh who face harsh conditions with no legal protection or fr wages. Collaboration with relevant organizations seeks to improve health services and awareness around rights protection for this particularly vulnerable group.

:

Collaborating with businesses to provide sexual reproductive health initiatives within their workplaces can significantly impact women's lives by enhancing access, empowerment, and decision-making capabilities. Such partnerships not only support the workforce in mntning good health but also benefit companies by fostering productivity, engagement, and corporate social responsibility.

UNFPA is committed to advancing global efforts toward gender equality through innovative partnerships that leverage private sector resources for the common good, ensuring every woman has access to sexual reproductive health services.

For more information or updates on this initiative, please visit UNFPA's official website. We encourage you to subscribe to our mling list and follow us across various platforms for regular updates.

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