In December 2018, UN Women in collaboration with Unilever, a range of producers in the tea sector, and working in partnership with government authorities, tea companies, women, youth, and community groups in rural spaces launched a “Global Women’s Safety Framework in Rural Spaces: Informed by experience in the tea sector” (GWSF). The GWSF aims to ensure that “all women and girls are socially, economically, and politically empowered in rural spaces that are free from sexual harassment and other forms of violence”.

UN Women, in partnership with Unilever, developed this accompanying guide to support the implementation of the GWSF. The guide aims to provide support to producers on how to practically implement three main areas of the GWSF, including promising practices, case studies, and tools.

The guide is written for producers in the tea sector and can be adapted by other commodity sectors in agricultural value chains, including large-, medium-, and small-size operations. Estate managers, welfare officers, investigation officers, single proprietors/smallholder farmers, human resources, health and school staff, women and youth groups can also draw on the guide for ideas and inspiration.