The team engaged 5200 employees during the 100-days and this was increased during the Women’s Month close-out events at the operations. The The action pledge campaign, that started during the 100-days got 1550 pledges made by employees at the end of the 100-days.
Launch event | Employee suggestions | Community outreach | Self-defense classes | Policies and reporting system | Imbizo interactions | Pledges | Safer environment | Ibandla event for men | Understanding barriers | Anonymous line | Beyond the 100-Days
Sexual Harassment indicators | Collaboration across operations | Diverse team | Urgency creates focus and creativity | Storytelling | Management support | Red tape | Community outreach
FOCUS AND GOAL
Focus
The Mineral Council and Exxaro partnered with NSPGBVF Pillar 5 to respond to the 100-Day Challenge call to ensure that all workspaces in their operations are free from GBV and sexual harassment.
To eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace (mining sector)- Safe workplaces free of violence against women and LGBTQIA+ persons, including but not limited to sexual harassment.
Reaffirming zero tolerance to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and Sexual Harassment (GBVFH) in the mining industry – with each operation at Exxaro creating its own work plan and the Woman in Mining Committee chairpersons all sitting on a joint team to collaborate on the overall 100-Day Challenge. Three main themes
- Awareness and education
- Partnership and Support
- Diversity and inclusion
Key interventions of the GBVF National Strategic Plan – Pillar 5.
5.1. Accelerated initiatives that address women’s unequal economic and social position through access to government and private sector procurement, employment, housing, access to land, financial resources and income other generating initiatives;
5.2. Safe workplaces free of violence against women and LGBTQIA+ persons, including but not limited to sexual harassment;
5.3. Demonstrated commitment through policy interventions by the South African state, private sector and other key stakeholders to eliminate the impact of economic drivers of GBV;
5.4. Strengthened child maintenance and related support systems to address the economic vulnerability of women
The national pillar team selected one area for the district to choose an Impact Challenge.
Results
100-Day Goal:
Increase engagement on GBVFH at Exxaro in 100-days and during the 100-Days, start a campaign to get 10,000 pledges from employees to support GBVFH efforts.
The team engaged 5200 employees during the 100-days and this was increased during the Women’s Month close-out events at the operations. The The action pledge campaign, that started during the 100-days got 1550 pledges made by employees at the end of the 100-days.
The team saw a remarkable increase in the reporting of sexual harassment cases as the education and awareness campaigns got underway.
Stakeholders
Experiments, Innovations and Actions
Combined 100-Day Challenge Launch Event
Exxaro’s launched the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) 100-Day Challenge with the Presidency and the Minerals Council of South Africa (MCSA) on the 4th of April 2022.
A combined project was launched at the head office and live streamed to all six operations, connected virtually. During the days following that, there were speakers, balloons were released, and silent marches were held at all the Exxaro operations.
The Connexion (Gauteng- corporate office)
Campaign theme: Inclusive and empowerment – Counting up to 100-Days and beyond
Input from employees - Suggestion boxes
To ensure inclusivity, a suggestion box system was implemented, and the team implemented some are are working on putting other ideas into action. Suggestions received:
- Create a platform where victims who are too afraid to speak to family or friends, can speak out, share their stories and get advice
- Include people working on the front lines to be part of the WIM Committees
- Education on what GBVFH is and what to do when experiencing it.
- Working together with Employee Wellness, run a campaign to make people more comfortable to reach out for counselling, therapy and coaching
- Make more noise about GBVFH in the workplace and communities & host a peaceful GBVFH march
- Invite genders that are represented in LGBTQIA+ to speak about gender issues, successes and challenges
Community
outreach
Established partnership with Tears Foundations and collected products for care packages to be distributed when cases are reported at the police stations and places of safety. The focus is on employees and the community.
The partnership will also support the tracking of GBVFH cases within all business operations.
Group policies and reporting system
- Conducted bi-weekly communication and engagement on policies, educational material and reporting forums.
- Conducted a survey to assess employees’ understanding of GBVFH and Sexual harassment and the barriers to reporting to provide more insight on whether the current systems are fit for purpose.
Self defense classes
As part of the empowerment focus, the team hosted self-defence classes that focused on self-defence techniques and how to de-escalate or avoid situations, as well as having awareness of your surroundings.
60% of all female employees from Connexion and FerroAlloys attended and shared positive stories.
Safety kits were also distributed that included a police whistle, pepper spray, as well as self-defence tools that women can use in case of an emergency.
Leewpan
Campaign theme: Breaking the silence
Safer environment
This campaign aimed at encouraging employers and employees to create a safer environment for women and men in the workplace & community.
- NSP and education books were placed at the reception.
- 3 Videos were produced (WIM team messages, Men Abuse, General Awareness about GBV) and shared on screens at the operations
- Sexual Harassment Policy was shared with employees via WIM Team.
- Video with Wims team sharing their perspectives
- Shared video series created by Malta operations
- Invited the South African Police Service to speak at meetings
- Employees made pledges during the events.
Community
outreach
The LPN Women in Mining (WIM) team had events at three Primary Schools to increase awareness about GBV in the host community. Delpark, Othandweni, and Vezimvundo Primary School. The highlight of these events was an Industrial Theatre performance by the local Endumbeni Cultural Group to bring the message home to the children. Afterwards, they all signed a pledge banner.
Imbizo interactions
5 Imbizo interactions were held that included messages from WIM’s representatives, videos of a talk by SAPS and the signing of the pledge banner by employees.
Beyond 100-day activities
- Posters and pamphlets for all Primary Schools in Botleng with Hotline numbers
- Industrial Theatre for employees (Budget permitting).
- Continuous awareness & engagement on GBV, Femicide and Sexual Harassment
Matla
Campaign theme: Stand against GBV
Communication channels and pledges
- An Internal brief was distributed
- Videos were made of management pledges and played during mass meetings with a short message
- Human Resources Sexual harassment toolkits were distributed
- Pledges were made by management and employees
- A comic strip was published
GBV Video series
The team commissioned a 12-episode film – Monster in the house, which provides a deepened understanding on GBVF drivers and sexual harassment. To educate employees and create awareness, each episode has different themes related to GBVF and sexual harassment
The episodes are broadcasted weekly on screen at work and during mass meetings.
Ibandla Event - Breaking silence from male employees.
One of the key experiments the team embarked on was hosting the “Ibandla”, an event for men to be brave and stand up and speak out against gender-based violence and femicide. This provided a platform for men to get together and engage on the issues they were facing and find solutions. Issues discussed included: sexual dysfunction, financial distress and substance abuse
Feedback was very positive, and future events are planned, and Terms of Reference and scope are being drafted, aligned with the GBVF NSP
Reporting system
Partnered with Tears foundation to raise awareness. Sharing contact numbers to report and get help.
Prevention safety and response
- Improved access control at change house
- Women working at night at different plants or on shift alone were provided with a Panic button that is connected to response teams
Beyond the 100-Days
- Continued broadcasting of the Monster in the house – series
- Sourcing of statistics on reported cases
- Going beyond EAP/Careways, Have a hotline dedicated to GBV
- More Ibandla events
Grootegeluk
Campaign theme: Every day, I rise to thrive!
Understanding barriers to reporting
120 people participated in a survey on sexual harassment and GBV to understand the barriers to reporting of cases.
3 main barriers were identified:
- What constitutes harassment
- Reporting – where & how
- Fear of victimisation
Awareness and success stories
The team is working on solutions to address the identified barriers.
- Sharing and celebration of success stories!
- Tears Foundation joined to ensure that employees are aware of available services.
Beyond the 100-Days
The close out of the campaign during Women’s month will include activities like:
- Messages of support from Heads of Departments – Alleviate victimisation
- Mine-wide training program/videos on different types of harassment
Belfast
Campaign theme: Breaking the silence
Women safety initiative
Change houses – in the process of deactivating the card access system and installing a digital system which will use a handprint to authorise entrance
Distributed panic buttons for women working in remote areas which are connected to the risk department (to respond).
School engagements
Community engagements were done at schools on GBV and bullying.
Awareness
An Internal communication campaign on “Breaking the Silence” was run.
Developed partnership with the Tears foundation to support employees and the community surrounding operations.
Employee pledges
Made Videos of employees pledging to break the silence against GBV and sexual harassment
Anonymous report line
Improved the reporting system by implementing an anonymous report line
Beyond the 100-Days
During women’s month – supporting holistic women empowerment. Topics to be covered:
- Career counselling
- Life Coach
- Financial empowerment
- Women’s health (physical & mental health)
- Male colleagues’ role in gender equality
Insights gained and lessons learned
Sexual Harassment indicators
The team initially struggled to find an outcome-based goal and that showed the impact and tangible results of the campaigns. Potential outcomes of the education and awareness campaign included:
- Frequency of reporting on sexual harassment cases.
- Backlog of unresolved cases
- Victims of sexual harassment and abuse.
- Number of success stories published on how harassment behaviour has improved.
- Integrated statistics on GBVF cases (including info from SAPS, Health and Human Resources).
- Target the engagement of decision-makers in the system.
- Commitment and pledges by employees.
The team did find it hard to find integrated and reliable data between the different reporting platforms. After different iterations, the team decided on a goal to engage as many employees as possible, and during the 100-day start to get 10,000 pledges from employees. This goal was set as a joint goal for all operations, and it helped to shape the different interventions.
Recommendations:
- In a campaign, have a clear goal and don’t be scared to go for big goals.
- Improve the reporting systems and integrate data from various reporting channels
- Get a critical mass to engage, to create a tipping point
Collaboration across operations
Sharing of ideas between operations was very helpful, and teams could use each other’s resources, for example, the video series.
The collaborative approach and peer learning were very helpful in getting traction on initiatives. One team member said, “Don’t try to accomplish it alone; more hands equals less work!”
Recommendations:
- Expand the initiative further into the mining sector. The ideas and actions could be replicated throughout the mining industry.
- Collaborate with all the mining houses to pull resources together and create a service point near mining operations that links all the service providers – SAPS, TCCs, NGOs, and Health.
- We could collaborate more across the organisation on our action plans – sharing in advance.
Diverse team
It is important to understand the “why” of the 100-day Challenge and to have team members on board who have experienced sexual harassment and GBV. Team activities were impacted positively by having a diverse team. The team also strived for inclusivity by seeking guidance and ideas from employees through the suggestions boxes and during events.
During the events for men, the team discovered and learned a lot about inclusivity and onboarding the right stakeholders.
Recommendations:
- Start the conversations with men earlier, and formulate the Ibandla terms of reference to support future events.
- Involve the community stakeholders in the 100-day team.
Urgency creates focus and creativity
The 100-Day Challenge created urgency and helped the team to focus. Starting with the end in mind by setting the 100-Day goal helped to keep the focus throughout the 100-days.
The pressure drove creativity and showed the team what they could accomplish. Although time management and capacity were a struggle, the operations adopted a “just do it” attitude.
A highlight for the team was the willingness to experiment and try a new way of doing things, brought on by the urgency and time restrictions.
Recommendations:
- Identify initiatives earlier to prepare stakeholders, and remove the red tape as soon as possible.
- Celebrate small victories along the way.
- Think outside the box, and do not be scared of experimenting.
Storytelling
Using storytelling through the 12 GBVF films (12 episodes) created more interest and engagement. It was much more effective than speeches. Employees, especially men, very well received it, and people felt that they could relate to the characters and stories.
Recommendations:
- Operationalise the discussion on GBVF in creative ways.
- Use other media platforms to create awareness and have GBV dialogues, like a dedicated slot on radio stations.
- As we talk/use “tik-tok “- we also need to “talk” about GBVF daily.
Management support
The support from leadership, the corporate communication team and the WIM’s committees made this more than just a campaign. They led by example; for example, managers were the first to make pledges on video and during events.
Recommendations:
- Engage leaders early and get their buy-in and support.
- GBV & sexual harassment must not be an add-on activity or campaign.
Red tape
Some of the initiatives could not be implemented within the 100-days due to supply chain processes and governance requirements that took long.
Recommendations:
- Involve the supply chain in the project team to help speed up the process while complying with procedures.
- Plan and accelerate applications for funding or suppliers.
Community outreach
Employees are part of the community, and you need to understand what is happening in these communities. The community outreach events help the teams to understand better the needs that exist and how the organisation can provide support in the best way.
Recommendations:
- Expand the outreach programmes at schools, also the high schools and higher education.
- Partner with NGOs to support communities, for example, the need for a safe house in one community and a one-stop service centre where TCCs now are.
100
Survivors and victims directly impacted
in 100 days
14
Stakeholder groups involved
To what extent would you recommend the 100-Day Challenge experience?
To what extent did the 3 behaviours emerge during the 100-Day Challenge, compared to before?
“This challenge has been the most intense in terms of commitment, innovation, and teamwork not to mention impacting people's lives, I am honoured to have been afforded this opportunity and chance.”
The 100-Days
01 April - 09 July
2022
“We have an opportunity to change the narrative about GBVF in the mining industry.”
Unsung Heroes
People not part of the 100-day team but without whom the results would not be possible:
Tsabeng Nthite – Manager, Corporate Communication
The Kramer – Specialist, Corporate Communication
Sixolile Ngcobo – 100-Day Challenge Ambassador
The World of Impact 100-Day Challenge exhibits 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
