GESI Policy of Dabindu Collective

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Policy (GESI) Framework

Dabindu Collective is a women-founded and women-run non-profit organization, established in 1984, dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of women workers in the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) of Katunayake and Biyagama, as well as garment sector workers in Kilinochchi and Vavuniya. With over 40 years of experience, we have been instrumental in mobilizing women workers, empowering them with knowledge about human rights, women’s rights, and labor rights, and fostering women’s leadership.

The primary goal of the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) policy is to formalize our longstanding commitment to gender equity and social inclusion, creating accountability and structured implementation. This policy is grounded in our 40 years of experience and serves several key purposes:

• Prevent Discrimination: Ensure non-discrimination in recruitment, mainstream staff policies, and funder selections.
• Promote a Respectful Working Environment: Maintain impartiality regarding workers’ backgrounds and attributes, such as disability, sexual orientation, language, ethnicity, and religion.
• Include Vulnerable Groups: Extend our focus beyond women to include additional marginalized groups.
• Enhance Collaboration: Improve GESI principles in stakeholder and network engagement.
• Provide Intersectional Analysis: Utilize social media, research, and media interventions to address issues through an intersectional lens.
• Address Discrimination: Establish processes for handling discrimination both within the organization and from external networks and stakeholders.