Empowering safe workplaces
By Adam Freill
Construction Health & Safety Women in ConstructionCCA and WomanACT join forces to tackle harassment in STEM and trades.
(Photo: Rapeepat Pornsipak / iStock / Getty Images Plus /Getty Images.)
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and its members have put their support behind a project aiming to enhance prevention and response measures for gender-based and sexual harassment in the workplace.
The Safe STEM Workplaces project is a collaborative effort between WomanACT and the Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST) designed to foster safe and harassment-free workplaces, particularly within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and trade sectors. The project, which is funded by the Department of Justice, directly confronts harassment in workplaces, especially affecting women, with the goal of reducing stress, enhancing productivity, and retaining women in these industries.
Bringing the program forward has involved the engagement of numerous progressive employers, including the CCA, Chandos Construction, Tandem Launch, and EllisDon. Employers involved are dedicated to nurturing respectful and secure work environments.
Despite garnering global attention, alarming statistics persist. According to a recent study, approximately 40 per cent of women worldwide experience workplace sexual harassment. These figures are mirrored in the Canadian context, where reports of sexual harassment from women consistently outnumber those from men by ratios ranging from 2.4 to 3.6 times.
WomanACT and SCWIST have partnered with the CCA to launch a transformative micro-lesson training series. This dynamic initiative, available through CCA partner associations to CCA integrated members at no cost, aims to reshape workplace cultures and eliminate gender-based and sexual harassment within workplaces.
The micro-lesson series offers an interactive training program encompassing essential concepts, practical strategies, and actionable steps. Participants will delve into trauma-informed practices, procedural fairness, equity, as well as the nuances of gender, sexual orientation, and harassment, and will receive a certificate upon completion. The series empowers participants to foster accountable workplace cultures, implement preventative measures, and respond effectively to incidents.
“Our partnership for the Micro-Lesson Training Series with CCA signifies more than collaboration; it signifies our shared commitment to reshape workplaces,” stated Harmy Mendoza, executive director of WomanACT. “We’re writing a story where harassment has no place, and equality and respect thrive.”
“The construction sector continues to invest in an inclusive and respectful workplace. We are delighted to offer this training to our member firms through our integrated partner associations across Canada,” added CCA president Mary Van Buren.
