Tea association of Malawi’s commitment towards promoting gender equality and creating safe environment for workers through policy implementation

Lilongwe, Malawi (ILO News) - The Tea Association of Malawi (TAML) is actively working to improve gender equality and safe environment within the tea industry. For this reason, the association has reviewed a Gender equality, anti-harassment and non-discrimination policy in 2024 in collaboration with the International Labour International Labour Organization (ILO) through the ACCEL Africa project with funded by the Government of Netherlands. The policy was launched on 24 May 2024 during the Tea Day commemorations in Nkhatabay.

The policy sets out minimum standard for creating a safe working environment in the tea industry which include:

• Prohibition of gender inequality: there shall be no discrimination based on sex for both males and females in the access to employment, employment benefits, training, grant of scholarships, conditions of service and any other benefit.
• Prohibition of harassment: all acts of harassment, sexual or otherwise are provided within and outside the tea industry.
• Prohibition of discrimination: discrimination of any kind whether direct or indirect against an employee or client of the tea industry is prohibited.

© ILO/Chisomo

© ILO/Chisomo

Under the policy’s umbrella, the ILO also supported TAML to develop a Facilitator’s and Learner’s training manual on preventions of workplace violence and harassment through Promoting Workers’ Rights and Gender Equality at Work in Africa – Phase II project funded by the Government of Norway.

The expected outcomes of the policy give a clear picture of TAML’s commitment to ensure the tea industry promotes gender equality and creates safe spaces for all; and these include i) safe work environment in the tea industry; ii) enhanced formal and informal reporting mechanisms; iii) increased resolution of reported cases expeditiously; iv) institutionalised gender equality, anti-harassment, and non-discrimination safeguarding mechanisms in the tea industry; v) improved documentation of best practices on gender equality, anti-harassment, and non-discrimination measures; and vi) improved coordination among stakeholders in the tea industry.

“The tea industry prioritises the safety, dignity, and well-being of all employees, particularly women, by enforcing standards and guidance for promoting gender equality in the work environment and prohibiting harassment and discrimination” Sangwani Hara, Board Chair Tea Association of Malawi (TAML)

Since the adoption and launch of its gender policy, the Tea Association of Malawi Limited (TAML) has taken concrete steps toward implementation, including:

• Training of 498 stakeholders (223 women and 275 men) across member estates, including managers, supervisors, and estate-level committee members. The training focused on equipping participants with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively apply the gender policy within their roles in the tea sector.
• Women’s Leadership Conference – 23 May 2025: This event aimed to inspire and support women in pursuing leadership roles within tea estates and factories. “We are developing a number of initiatives to close the gender gap in leadership representation, and the Women Leaders Conference is one of them,” said Maria Dowa Mwaya, TAML Gender Coordinator. The conference brought together over 70 women from various estates, including supervisors, section heads, and committee leaders.

The policy is aligned to Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) which protects workers and other persons in the world of work, including employees as defined by national law and practice, as well as persons working irrespective of their contractual status, persons in training, including interns and apprentices, workers whose employment has been terminated, volunteers, jobseekers and job applicants, and individuals exercising the authority, duties or responsibilities of an employer.