Impact of a workplace intervention on attitudes and practices related to gender equity in Bengaluru, India

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender inequity and violence against women are significant global issues, particularly in occupational settings like garment factories.
• Workplace interventions offer a unique opportunity to address these challenges and promote positive social change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a participatory, garment factory-based intervention designed to promote gender equity.
• To assess the intervention's impact on employees' knowledge and attitudes regarding gender equity, intimate partner violence (IPV), and alcohol use.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design was employed, with one factory as the intervention site and another as a delayed control.
• Mobile-phone-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted at baseline and 12 months with 835 employees.
• Difference-in-difference estimation was used to analyze changes in attitudes and knowledge related to gender equity, IPV, and alcohol use.

Main Results:

• The intervention led to substantial and statistically significant improvements in attitudes favoring gender equity.
• Employees showed increased recognition of the unacceptability of intimate partner violence (IPV).
• Awareness of IPV and alcohol-related support services significantly improved among intervention participants.

Conclusions:

• Workplace-based interventions are effective in advancing gender equity.
• Participatory approaches integrating health campaigns and interactive methods can yield positive outcomes in occupational settings.
• The findings support the scalability and replicability of such interventions in diverse industries.