Tola is in her early thirties and has spent the last four years working as the training manager for Thalias, a big hospitality business which runs restaurants and hotels. She is responsible for developing and delivering training for all workers across the company.
Tola learned about CARE Cambodia and their reputation as experts in employer-focused sexual harassment training though one of the managers within the company. She initially approached CARE Cambodia to join their training about gender and sexual harassment. Through CARE, she got to talk to others who are from different hotels and restaurants and who experience similar issue at their workplace. “I am glad to join CARE and learn what sexual harassment really means. This helps me to identify sexually harassing behaviour at my workplace,” she said.
Tola recognised sexual harassment had happened in her workplace and that sometimes staff might not realise their behaviour was harassing and unacceptable. Therefore, as a training manager, she felt obligated to raise awareness with her co-workers. A few weeks after her training with CARE, Tola conducted her own training to the company’s staff about gender and sexual harassment, with CARE support. The organisation’s gender-based violence experts helped her to develop the training content and supported her with materials, bags and wristband with hope to gain the staff’s interest.
About 70 staff joined her session and within a short period of time Tola has seen a lot of her staff are more aware of their behaviour. She observed people now treat each other better; in particular male colleagues are more respectful to women. “I find that some of male colleagues have changed their behaviour and I have received positive feedback from women.”
Working with CARE has not only helped her staff feel more protected, but also supported Tola with her daily work. “CARE has helped me expand my network with other hospitality groups, and this helps me to work more effectively.” Tola now wants to take this training to the next level and implement a sexual harassment policy in her workplace. She believes that having a policy could help her company to prevent and address sexual harassment better, so people in her workplace feel more comfortable at work and are therefore more productive.
Tola is keen to continue working with CARE Cambodia so she has technical support to become a better and a stronger trainer about gender, sexual harassment and responding to gender-based violence in her workplace. Tola is thankful that CARE gave her the opportunity to participate in CARE’s journey to end violence and sexual harassment against women.
Tola’s initial training on gender and sexual harassment was funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women under the Safe Workplaces, Safe Communities project.
The ongoing support to conduct sexual harassment training with her workers and implement a sexual harassment policy is made possible with the financial assistance of the Australian Government under the Protections for Marginalised Urban Women project.
These activities are part of the Protections for Marginalised Urban Women project, which is funded by the Australian Government.
Learn more about the Protections for Marginalised Urban Women project >