IKEA Australia calling on businesses to support on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Here at IKEA, we believe that everyone has the right to a safe life at home and we want to continue to drive positive change in society and help make that a reality for as many Australians as possible.  

Today, 25 November, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This initiative, led by the UN Secretary-General and UN Women, aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world, calling for global action to increase awareness, promote advocacy and create opportunities for discussion on challenges and solutions.  Today also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism, which ends on Human Rights Day on 10 December each year. You can read more about these important days here. 

From working with experts in the domestic and family violence space, we know that women and children are disproportionately affected, with research showing the fundamental driver of violence against women is gender inequality. Despite this, we also know that domestic and family violence does not discriminate, affecting people of all ages and from all backgrounds, in any walk of life, of any gender identity. It affects us all as a community. That is why we are continuing to raise awareness of this issue and remind all co-workers of our local Domestic & Family Violence Rule.  

We proudly launched our updated local rule earlier this year. Through this rule, all co-workers and their families have access to support in the form of:  

• Up to 15 days paid leave per year for co-workers experiencing domestic and family violence 
• Co-workers supporting family members experiencing domestic and family violence can also access 2 days leave 
• Co-workers experiencing domestic and family violence can be supported with the development of a tailored support plan to help ensure their safety and so they can continue to be employed as part of the IKEA family. Elements of the support plan will be adapted to the specific situation but may include temporary or permanent changes to their role, work location or working hours to avoid a perpetrator, among other things.  

While we are at the beginning of our own journey to support those impacted by domestic and family violence, and we acknowledge that we have more to do, we are proud to have made a start.

Since we launched this updated rule, we have been pleased to see that the Australian Government has passed a bill that gives Australian workers access to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave each year, commencing 1 February 2023.  

We welcome any businesses that are about to embark on their own journey to reach out and talk to us about what we have done as a business and share some of the learnings we have gained so far. Together we can make a difference in supporting more individuals and families impacted by Domestic and Family Violence and raise awareness of the issue to try and aid in its prevention from the start. Together, we can be part of a positive change in society.  

Mirja Viinanen
Country Retail Manager and CSO