Equifruit says it is among the founding signatories of a public commitment to preventing gender-based violence and sexual harassment in the banana industry.
The “Silence Does Not Protect” campaign (“El Silencio No Protégé” in Spanish), led by the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers, launched May 21 at the fifth Fairtrade Banana Forum. The campaign intends to raise awareness and advocate for safe, respectful working conditions for women across Latin America and the Caribbean, says Equifruit.
“Sexual harassment has no place in any industry and cannot be tolerated,” Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Equifruit, said in a news release. “As a women-led company, we are using our voice to speak up about sexual harassment and challenge a culture of staying silent. By joining the ‘Silence Does Not Protect’ campaign and sharing our own policy publicly, we hope to encourage others to speak out and create a culture of accountability and support for women throughout the banana industry.”
Equifruit released its Policy for the Prevention and Management of Psychological and Sexual Harassment in alignment with the Silence Does Not Protect initiative. The policy formalizes Equifruit’s stance on protecting the rights and dignity of all workers in the global banana supply chain. As a women-owned business and a B Corp, Equifruit says it champions the core Fairtrade values of gender equality, transparency and respect for human rights across the company’s supplier and customer relationships and internal operations.
Equifruit says it recognizes that addressing gender inequality is not only a matter of compliance, but a moral and strategic imperative. The company actively participates in the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization-based World Banana Forum’s Gender Equity Taskforce.
Equifruit says it is committed to continuing to work closely with Fairtrade producer organizations and advocacy partners to strengthen protections for women, promote safe reporting mechanisms and foster inclusive leadership at both ends of the banana supply chain.
