WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK

THE RIGHT TO A SAFE AND HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS A RIGHT FOR ALL: AN ADVOCACY FOR WOMEN DESIRING TO EXERCISE THEIR FERTILITY

Throughout the year, there are quite a number of social campaigns that are run, and “noise” made to champion one agenda or another. More often than not, however, we find that most are superficial and effect little to no change on the status quo in existing toxic spaces. Today is World Day for Safety and Health at Work, with the running theme being participation and social dialogue in creating a positive safety and health culture. 

DGG is happy to see the word “dialogue” in there, as we know how important the creation of safe and bold spaces for hard conversations to be had, is. And so, on this day, what we want to draw the attention of organizations, corporate bodies, and government agencies to is this:

Work environments are spaces where adults spend the most parts of their lives. This means that a key factor to promoting good public health, is ensuring that work environments are not a detriment to the health of the working population. We also know that there are many aspects of one’s overall health, one of which is one’s sexual and reproductive health, which is DGG’s focus. 

Sexual reproduction health encompasses one’s right to reproduce, or in more technical terms, exercise their fertility. We all know, too, that the exercising of this right, in the world of work, leans more, if not completely, in favour of men than women. Women, by nature, bear the weight of procreation, which demands a lot from them physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually. To have to balance this with needing to work to survive, is a bane almost every woman desiring to exercise their fertility would attest to. 

From complaints about interviewers expressing concern about hiring young married women, to the extent of barring young women from exercising their fertility until a set time is past. From stigmatization that pregnant women in the work world face to maternity benefits that are nothing to write home about. From the glaring fact that women are forced to choose one over the other (work or starting and raising a family) to the unfortunate truth that work spaces do not exist to foster a healthy work-life balance. All of these present work environments that stifle reproductive rights of women, that put a strain on the mental health of women at the crossroads of fertility decision-making, and that are downright unfair to pregnant and nursing women. 

We are therefore urging all bodies of work to begin conversations on this matter, include the most important stakeholders (women), and actively work towards changing the status quo. 

The right to a safe and healthy working environment, is a right for all.