In recognition of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), representatives of EDESUR discuss efforts to combat GBV in the workplace.

USAID, through its Engendering Industries program, is partnering with EDESUR to improve gender equality, increase women’s participation in the workforce, and reduce sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

EDESUR is a large power utility that provides electricity to more than 800,000 customers in the southern part of the Dominican Republic. Of their 3,290 employees, around 37 percent are women. The Dominican Republic has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world, and gender-based violence in the country is common. Recognizing the potential impact of gender-based violence and sexual harassment on the workforce, the utility created new policies and began using internal and external communication, training, and male-engagement strategies to raise awareness and combat GBV across the utility’s workforce and the country.