A Better World Volume 1

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plans to tackle gender-specific violence. However, the effec-

tive implementation of these laws and commitments is rather

weak. Through the years VAW has become culturally accepted

in many societies of Latin America.

ComVoMujer, the regional programme ‘Fighting Violence

against Women in Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru’ of

GIZ, aims at changing this reality so that women stop suffering

gender-based violence. The programme focuses on improv-

ing the exchange of information and cooperation between

regional and national stakeholders and collaboration with the

private sector in the region, in order to implement measures to

prevent and combat this epidemic. The idea is that enhanced

exchange of information and experience between countries

and effective dialogue between public, non-governmental and

private-sector stakeholders improves the implementation of

existing laws and action plans.

Groundbreaking studies in private companies, conducted by

ComVoMujer in conjunction with the Peruvian University of

San Martín de Porres, highlighted the financial consequences

of VAW for businesses in the region.

Hence, VAW is not only

a human rights violation and a serious public health problem,

but also a major financial burden and an obstacle to socioeco-

nomic development. The studies have shown that VAW costs

medium and large businesses in Peru US$6.7 billion, or 3.7

per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). In Bolivia the cost

is US$2 billion (6.5 per cent of GDP) and in Paraguay it is

around US$735 million (2.4 per cent of GDP). These alarming

figures caught the attention of businesses and not only led to

campaigns and measurements within the companies but also

to the cooperation of the private sector with state institutions.

A company that has been especially active in the fight against

VAW is the National Telecommunications Corporation of

Ecuador (CNT) with more than 7,000 employees across the

country. The company trained almost all its employees on

VAW with the online certification course ‘Safe Company –

leader in zero tolerance towards violence against women’ and

implemented several campaigns on the prevention of VAW.

Together with ComVoMujer, CNT also developed the cost-free

app Junt@s, which can be downloaded but is also a standard

feature of all new smart phones sold by CNT.

With this app an

emergency centre or a person of trust can be notified with just

the touch of a button. For security reasons, the use of its help

or emergency function is not recorded and therefore cannot be

traced by the perpetrator. Additionally, the app offers help in the

form of contacts for specialized institutions, motivating phrases

for affected women, and tests to find out whether the user is in

danger of suffering violence or becoming an aggressor.

Within only one year and with the technical assistance of

GIZ, CNT converted into a leading business in preventing

VAW. As a company taking its corporate social responsibility

seriously, CNT was also able to better its position on the free

market over other providers that do not offer this app. The

goal is to reach out to as many mobile phone users as possible

and therefore a second, enhanced version of the app is in the

making. After all, prevention is everybody’s responsibility.

Strengthening businesswomen in times of conflict

Yemen has descended into a full-fledged military conflict since

March 2015. Even before the war, the economic conditions

in the country were challenging. Women in particular had

limited access to economic opportunities and education due

to cultural and political norms. According to World Bank

data, only one in four women was economically active in

2014. In current times of war businesswomen, even more than

their male counterparts, struggle hard to keep their businesses

going or to start up their own business. Freedom of movement

is very limited due to fighting, destroyed infrastructure and

high petrol costs. The GIZ Private Sector Development Project

aims to strengthen companies and households in times of war

by safeguarding and creating jobs. Important partners such as

CNT trained its employees using the online certification course ‘Safe

Company – leader in zero tolerance towards violence against women’

The Junt@s – Together app can notify an emergency centre or a person of

trust at the touch of a button

Image: GIZ

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