Sexual Violence Prevention Main Focus of CWA Human Rights Town Hall

Last month, the CWA National Women’s Committee and the CWA Human Rights Department hosted a town hall to honor the contributions of women to CWA and to the labor movement. CWA Director of Human Rights, Education and Health and Safety Angie Wells kicked off the virtual town hall. Other speakers included CWA Chief of Staff and Coalition of Labor Union Women President Sylvia J. Ramos and Katie Knick of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA). Themed “A Story Untold is a Story Unknown,” the town hall focused on identifying the causes of sexual violence and methods for protecting workers from unwanted aggression.

Said Ramos, “Women are leading the way back to sanity, back to grace, and back to justice through powerful organizing of worksites, skillful negotiations of strong union contracts, and a sincere and genuine call for solidarity. When we stand united, we are an unstoppable force. We are a force for righteous change! But our work doesn’t stop there—ensuring a safe work environment is equally as important as securing good working conditions, wages, and benefits!”

“Sexual violence doesn’t just happen because of individual bad actors,” said Knick. “It happens because of power imbalances, systemic inequality, silence, and lack of accountability. Unions are uniquely positioned to change these conditions.” Her presentation focused on identifying workplace sexual violence, how unions are currently fighting it, and what CWA can do to be even more effective at sexual violence prevention.

The CWA Human Rights Department offers three powerful trainings designed to equip our members with the tools to create safer and more just workplaces including Gender Justice Training, Implicit Bias Training, and Environmental Justice Training.

Reach out to your Local leadership for information on how to sign up for these trainings.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.