• Group

Combating violence against women: BNP Paribas makes new commitments

On 25 November, the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Group reaffirms its commitment to combating violence against women. We need to remember that one in three women in the world has been, is, or will be a victim of physical and/or sexual violence during her lifetime, most often committed by her spouse or former spouse. This violence has serious consequences for the mental and physical health of the victims and has a direct impact on their work and career path.

The company: an ideal forum for acting against domestic violence

Poster campaigns, podcasts, e-learning, inter-company study, awareness-raising for HR teams... Since 2018, the Group has been working within the framework of the OneInThreeWomen network, the first European network of companies fighting against domestic violence and its impact at work. 

In line with this work, BNP Paribas has joined the coalition of actions entitled "Gender-based violence" for five years as part of the Generation Equality Forum. The goal: to continue and intensify the Group's actions in the fight against violence against women, through 3 commitments by 2026:

  • A common commitment to all members of the OneInThreeWomen network, as a pioneering company

BNP Paribas and the OneInThreeWomen network are committed to convincing 50 private sector organisations to adopt and implement internal policies and/or mechanisms to combat violence against women by 2026. How? By opening up their networks and sharing concrete tools: training curriculum, e-learning, research, associative network....

  • An internal and international commitment as a responsible employer

Internationalise, within BNP Paribas, actions aimed at combating domestic violence and its impact on the workplace and encourage the commitment and vigilance of all employees.

  • An external engagement with French Commercial Banking, as a Bank

In France, provide better support and assistance to our female clients who are victims of economic violence, in particular by capitalising on our innovative Nickel offer, but also by training our client advisers to listen to and guide victims.

Read the study: Domestic violence and business: “How does domestic violence impact the workplace ?”

‘It is by working together and across departments that we can support victims throughout the process, provide them with the help they need and enable them to keep their jobs.’

Caroline Courtin, Head of  GHR Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at BNP Paribas

The crucial role of awareness-raising and training in the fight against domestic violence

On the occasion of this International Day, OneInThreeWomen is launching a series of 4 podcasts dedicated to the place of domestic violence within the company.  Each episode highlights the testimony of a person who has been confronted with this type of violence in a company: a woman survivor, a manager who has witnessed it, a social worker or a specialist association. Through these different perspectives and experiences, the audience will discover the many faces of domestic violence and the role that the various stakeholders in a company can play in supporting victims and providing them with the best possible assistance.

 listen to podcasts

In addition, again in collaboration with the OneInThreeWomen network, BNP Paribas launched an e-learning programme in 2020 entitled "Domestic violence and its impact on the workplace", open to all employees worldwide. This is a thirty-minute awareness-raising course on domestic violence to understand the mechanisms, to welcome speech, to know how to detect certain weak signals and to refer a victim.

Finally, the annual campaign of the Rescue & Recover Fund (BNP Paribas Foundation) will be dedicated to Care, Médecins sans Frontières and the French Red Cross, three of the Fund's partner NGOs that are strongly committed to these causes on an international scale.

Orange Day

25 November also marks the start of the Orange Day campaign, which runs every year until 10 December. Since 2014, the official colour of the campaign, initiated by UN Women, is orange, which symbolises a better future and a fairer world without violence against women and girls. For this occasion, BNP Paribas will wear the colour orange on its social networks.

Would you like to get involved in Orange Day too? Donate to UN Women to support programmes of action on the elimination of violence against girls and women.

make a donation

Pour en savoir plus

Listen to How does domestic violence impact the workplace? Podcast In My Shoes with Jane Pillinger

Read:

Orange Day – Fighting violence against women: a priority during the health crisis

Violence against women: a Company-wide issue

Photos : ©Jacob Lund - Lauren Lee/Stocksy - United Nations

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