Insights from The Women's Safety Accelerator Fund (WSAF)
The document shares learnings from the WSAF program, set up by a coalition of brands and organisations in 2020 to accelerate the UN Women’s Global Women Safety Framework, aiming to create a safe, violence-free workplace for women in the tea sector.
Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a critical challenge in the tea industry, where women workers often face harassment with little recourse for justice. The Women’s Safety Accelerator Fund (WSAF) was established in 2020 by a coalition of brands and organizations -- including Unilever, IDH, Twinings, Taylors of Harrogate, Tesco, and the Ethical Tea Partnership -- to accelerate the implementation of UN Women’s Global Women’s Safety Framework in the tea sector.
Hosted by IDH, WSAF is a collaborative effort that brings together local NGOs, tea workers, producers, buyers, and retailers to foster sustainable improvements in women’s safety within tea supply chains. By fostering trust, strengthening grievance mechanisms, and shifting harmful norms, WSAF has empowered thousands of women, mobilized communities, and demonstrated that a violence-free workplace is not just a moral imperative but also a business necessity.
This booklet offers key insights from WSAF’s journey—highlighting impact, lessons learned, and the path ahead in ensuring dignity and safety for women in the tea sector.