New Delhi: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia-Pacific has called on businesses across the region to prioritise investments in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of their women employees, particularly those in labour-intensive sectors such as garment and textile manufacturing. This appeal comes ahead of the Sexual Health Day on Wednesday, emphasising the significant economic benefits such investments can bring to businesses.
“Across Asia and the Pacific, millions of women employed in the garment and manufacturing sectors are young, often migrants, and hail from low-income families with limited access to healthcare and education. These challenges are further exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, which directly impacts their health, job retention, and productivity,” the UNFPA said in a statement.
UNFPA’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Pio Smith stressed the economic advantages for businesses that invest in the health and well-being of their employees.
“Businesses that invest in the health and well-being of their employees are positioning themselves for long-term economic success. The data is clear: when women’s sexual and reproductive health needs are met, companies reap substantial financial rewards, creating a win-win scenario for both businesses and their employees, with improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, and overall employees’ job satisfaction,” said Smith.
To assist businesses in evaluating the financial benefits of such investments, the UNFPA has developed the Return on Investment Tool (ROI-T).
This tool offers a concrete framework for assessing the financial returns of investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights in the workplace.
According to the UNFPA, workplace programmes that address women’s health issues, such as menstrual health, anaemia, and other sexual and reproductive health concerns, can lead to significant health improvements and cost savings for companies.
The statement said the UNFPA’s initiatives in the region include training 75 private sector companies in the Philippines to provide family planning sessions for female employees, developing awareness-raising resources on gender-based violence for trainers at South Asia’s largest lingerie manufacturing factory in Sri Lanka, and collaborating with garment manufacturers in Bangladesh to ensure workers have access to essential health services.
