A Global Women’s Safety Framework in Rural Spaces: Informed by experience in the tea sector

The new global women’s safety framework adapts UN Women’s longstanding initiative on safe cities and safe public spaces for women and girls through incorporating experience in the tea sector in rural spaces. With its strong focus on prevention of violence against women and girls in public spaces, including harassment, the framework helps to build a common understanding in the tea sector that is applicable to other commodity sectors in agricultural value chains.

It explores the many manifestations and causes of violence against women and girls, and sets out their impacts on women, communities and businesses. The framework provides examples of how producers, authorities and civil society groups can work together with links to tools and organizations.

The framework can assist tea producers working in partnership on women’s safety issues to:

• Better understand what violence against women and girls is, the factors that contribute to and protect against it, and how it impacts women, communities and businesses;
• Learn about the four framework action areas and the key principles that underline effective women’s and girls’ safety action in these areas;
• Identify different contributions that: 1) producers; 2) government authorities and 3) women, youth and community groups can make to end violence against women and girls;
• Access tools and practices to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women and girls to help guide action tailored to the local and country contexts;
• Understand some key steps to help producers implement action; and
• Explain key terms and concepts used in this area.

The framework is a key reference and accountability tool for producers, authorities, women’s organizations, the UN system, and other stakeholders.