Understanding Workplace Violence Against Women in Public Transport

1. Introduction to violence against women in public transport ITF / FNV Action Forum Bali 2016 Session 1 & 2

2. https://itfviolencefreeworkplaces4women.wordpress.com/

3. Jodi Our personal stories

4. Jodi Definition ILO 2003 violence at work “Violence at work can be defined as incidents where employees are abused, threatened, assaulted or subject to other offensive behaviour in circumstances related to their work. Violence includes both physical and non-physical violence. It finds its expression in physical assault, homicide, verbal abuse, bullying/mobbing, sexual and racial harassment, threats and mental stress.”

5. Jodi What does workplace violence include?

6. Jodi Definition Workplace violence can include any or all of the following: Physical attacks, biting, punching, spitting, scratching, squeezing, pinching, harassment including sexual and racial, bullying, mobbing, victimizing, intimidating, threats, ostracism, leaving offensive messages, aggressive posturing, rude gestures, interfering with work tools and equipment, hostile behaviour, swearing, shouting, name-calling, innuendo, deliberate silence, homicide, rape, robbery, wounding, battering. (ILO 1998)

7. Claire Gender-based violence at work Yes violence in the workplace also happens to men transport workers too, but we need to look at gender based violence as an issue in its own right. French employees were the most likely to believe they had been victims of violence in the workplace, with 11.2% of males and 8.9% of females reporting assaults over the previous year. In addition, 19.8% of females in the workplace reported "sexual incidents" in the same 12-month period.

8. Claire Gender-based violence at work • Women are at much greater risk of certain types of victimisation at work • Women working on buses have been reported to be victims of brutal attacks • Women train drivers have experienced constant sexual harassment • For the small, but increasing number of women who drive taxis, rape is an additional risk • Women road transport workers in Latin America often face employers who try to force them to have sexual relations, while those who refuse are forced to work night or very early morning shifts or in distant locations from home

9. Claire ITF 2009 Road and Rail Survey • Almost half of respondents had experienced an incident(s) at work • Women in all public transport sectors had experienced an incident(s) • Perpetrators are passengers and colleagues– men and women • Incidents of violence visible and hidden • Some cases of violence cause danger to passengers, members of the public, and so the community at large

10. Claire ITF 2009 Road and Rail Survey • “Sexual innuendo from a group of first class guys (one felt my bottom). Another incident where a standard class passenger was shouting and took a picture of me (he was upset that he was late).” • “Passengers often try to get away without paying and often use swear words and sexual language” • “Male member of staff sexually assaulted me by putting his hands down the back of my trousers and the front of my top.” • “Comments from my line manager regarding 'women's work’; and refusal to allow me to attend courses that aren't really for girls. [He] Also refers to me as a secretary (I’m not) and asks me to sit on his lap.”

11. Claire

12. Alana Do you agree or disagree? • Women put themselves in danger when they travel alone and late at night. • Girls who flirt or get drunk or wear short skirts are “asking for it”. • Women are at greatest risk of being sexually assaulted by strangers. • Men of certain backgrounds are more likely to use sexual violence against women. • A woman’s husband or partner has the right to expect sex. • Rapists aren’t normal. They are maniacs and madmen. • Passenger transport work is a frontline job. Some abuse is inevitable. • Women who work in a male dominated industry should be less sensitive. It’s just men being men.

13. Alana Do you agree or disagree? “Violence against women has little to do with the man being aggravated and even less to do with what the victim has done. Instead, its roots lie in the man’s desire to exert control and power over a woman and would occur no matter what she did or did not do.” Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railwaymen’s Union

14. Jodi Power and Control Wheel Activity Part one: Work in groups to re-build the blank wheel

15. Jodi

16. Jodi Power and Control Wheel Activity Part two: • Groups of public transport unions re-write the wheel giving specific women public transport worker examples • Groups of unions from other sectors re-write the wheel giving women public transport passengerexamples

17. Barb Individual impacts of gender-based violence at workPhysical HealthSexual Health Mental Health Psychiatric Health

18. Barb Collective impacts of gender-based violence at work

19. Barb So, what is the cause of male violence against women…? • Men who perpetrate violence have been taught to relate to the world in terms of dominance and control. • They have been taught that violence is an acceptable method of maintaining control, resolving conflicts and expressing anger.

20. Barb Male violence against women is caused by the unequal power relationships between men and women.

21. Barb The evidence • Asia Pacific: the most commonly reported motivation for rape is a belief that men have a right to sex regardless of consent. • Nigeria: 10 out of 36 states have laws that allow husbands to use physical force against their wives. • India: More than 50% of women and men agree that wife beating is justified if a woman disrespects her in-laws or neglects the house or her children. • UK: 3 million women experience rape, domestic violence, forced marriage or sexual exploitation each year. • Egypt: 40% of women agreed that wife beating was justified for arguing with her husband, 35% for refusing to have sex, and 20% for burning food. (UN survey)

22. Barb What are the risk factors? • Jealousy in the workplace • Lack of sex education • Poverty and unemployment • Alcohol and drug use • Exposure/increase of use of the internet • Inequality in employment • Lack of government action • Dependency on men

23. Barb When is the situation becoming dangerous? • A history of domestic violence • Actual or pending separation • Obsessive behaviour • Depression of the perpetrator • The level of violence is increasing • Prior threats / attempts of suicide • Threat to kill • Prior attempts to isolate victim • Victim had intuitive sense of fear • Perpetrator unemployed

24. Claire Can you think of some risk factors directly related to working in urban transport?

25. Claire • Interacting directly with the public • Working alone or in isolated areas • Having a mobile workplace • Working late night or early morning hours • Working in high crime areas • Providing services to people who may be experiencing frustration • Handling money or fees • Having enforcement responsibilities • Having inadequate escape routes • Working in conditions where workers are forced into aggressive competition with each other

26. Claire Who perpetrates violence at work? • External violence • Service-related violence • Internal violence • Organisational violence

27. Claire Who do you feel more at risk from… a stranger in the street or your friends, partner, husband, colleague or relative?

28. Claire The reality… Of female rape or sexual assault victims in 2010, 25% were assaulted by a stranger, 48% by friends or acquaintances, and 17% were intimate partners. (National Crime Victimization Survey 2010 – USA)

29. Claire “Whilst driving I had my breasts groped, a passenger threaten to rape me, a passenger threatened to shoot me and other incidents too numerous to mention. I had my bottom slapped in front of witnesses by a senior manager. I have endured insults from day one (only lesbians want to drive buses). I accept that where I am now, I am one of only three women in staff and some innuendo is inevitable.” (ITF Road and Rail Survey 2009)

30. Alana How is power exercised • Some power is formal/visible • Some power is informal/hidden • Some power is invisible

31. Alana How is power exercised • Formal…government, state institutions eg. courts, schools • Informal/hidden…corporations, religious institutions, cultural institutions, media • Invisible…values, beliefs, cultural norms

32. Claire What stops women from reporting?

33. Claire • Stigma • Fear of victimisation • Fear of not being believed • Not wanting to make the situation worse • No confidence in the reporting process • No employer policy • Precarious employment conditions • It’s ‘part of the job’

34. Claire “Because of job security and I was still new at the place of work. The man was also my supervisor.” “Out of fear of suffering more attacks and of being ignored at work.” “In those days, sexual harassment was not highlighted in society. Such a comment was made on a routine basis. I didn’t know whom I should report it to.”

35. Claire “Unfortunately, many women omit the violence they suffer at work. When we investigate, many women deny the incident or say they do not want to discuss the issue, few women tell us their story. The fear and the shame to be exposed prevails.” CNTTT, Brazil

36. Alana Where is power exercised • Public…workplace, politics, legal system, media • Private…family, relationships • Personal…self-confidence, self-esteem, self-image

37. Barb It CAN change Women’s Rights through the Generations At the research workshops in October 2015 and February 2016 we asked our women participants about such cultural changes. While allowing that there are individual differences in experiences, the women talked about the place of women in the family and in society through the generations. As they reflected on their own grandmother’s and mother’s experiences, they reached a strong consensus that women’s rights and responsibilities have been evolving.

38. Barb “My grandmother needed to stay in the house.” Our grandmother’s mobility was often restricted. They had no authority and no place in family decision making. “When my grandmother was married, she had no idea she was being married.”

39. Barb “My mother had a chance to participate in social and community activities, like festivals.” Our mother’s society was becoming more liberal and women were gaining more freedom. Some women began to refuse to follow a man’s orders. If there were domestic problems, a wife could get divorced. “My mother is the leader of the family, she resisted being oppressed by her husband.”

40. Barb “There has been a transition in people’s mind set.” The current generation has seen drastic changes to the status and the roles of women. . Women were enthusiastic about the changes they have seen in the world of work. “I have started to drive a vehicle. I drive a tuktuk.”

41. “Girls should treated equally in the house and thus I want my daughter to not just be a part of her family but a part of the world.” Participants envision gender equality for their daughters. They want their daughters to have mobility and choice. “She won’t have to live in a locked room. She won’t be confined to a district or a country.”

42. Barb Its power, not culture • “Our culture” • Cultures are dynamic • Cultures can be shaped • Power relations invested in culture

43. Alana Take a few minutes to individually refer to those myths again.Has anything changed for you?

44. Alana Do you agree or disagree? • Women put themselves in danger when they travel alone and late at night. • Girls who flirt or get drunk or wear short skirts are “asking for it”. • Women are at greatest risk of being sexually assaulted by strangers. • Men of certain backgrounds are more likely to use sexual violence against women. • A woman’s husband or partner has the right to expect sex. • Rapists aren’t normal. They are maniacs and madmen. • Passenger transport work is a frontline job. Some abuse is inevitable. • Women who work in a male dominated industry should be less sensitive. It’s just men being men.

45. Women are survivors, not victims!Individual responsesCollective action Alana

46. Inland Transport film on violence in passenger transport“It’s part of our job but shouldn’t be”