A women’s gender workplace safety toolkit is being put in place to look after the welfare of women working in rural high-risk industries in PNG.
A recent study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Business Coalition for Women (BCFW) last year through FACTIVE – a consultant group is focusing on Gender Smart Safety for Women in remote areas has led to the development of Audit Toolkits.
The consultancy firm in Australia with expertise in the areas of gender in the workplace, gender and safety in high-risk industries, and organizational communications and marketing, spearheading this process.
The studies revealed and recommended the need for companies to increase focus on women’s safety as well as to address gender bias in management aspects of each organisations.
NBPOL was the only company from the Agriculture industry that was included in this study and also participated in the development of the Auditing Tools for Gender Safety at a recent workshop held at Port Moresby.
The other two companies with representatives to this workshop were Oil Search and St Barbara Simberi Mining. The tools developed were trialled on audit with all three companies last week, and NBPOL participated on the 7th and 08th of June using the different tools.
The audit tools identify different safety issues at work and behavioural challenges that affect women’s safety both at work and at home. Oil Search, Simberi Mining and NBPOL representatives will be having the final workshop in the Tools design and standards setting at Port Moresby on June 20 to 22.