BRAVE-WOW: Building respectful and violence-free gender-inclusive environments in the world of work

Corporate commitment to safe, equal and sustainable work environments

The BRAVE-WOW (Be Ready Against Violence and Harassment in the World Of Work) project promotes an innovative and practical approach to tackling gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, with a particular focus on cases that remain invisible or unreported.

Its mission is clear: to build safer, more inclusive and responsible work environments, strengthening the social sustainability of organisations and aligning their management with the principles of Decent Work and Equal Opportunities promoted by the European Union.

BRAVE-WOW is a pioneering European initiative that combines research, social innovation and technology to prevent and eradicate gender-based violence in the workplace. Collaboration between participating organisations will enable: 

• Position their brand as a benchmark for equality and well-being in the workplace.
• Access exclusive knowledge and tools for evaluating and improving their internal policies.
• Contribute to the creation of new European standards for the prevention of workplace violence.
• Strengthen corporate social responsibility (CSR) and regulatory compliance strategy.
• Participate in an international innovation ecosystem alongside universities, research centres and organisations in the healthcare sector.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Analyse and understand the causes of gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, especially in cases that remain hidden.
• Design long-term prevention and action strategies based on reliable data and scientific evidence.
• Investigate the role of artificial intelligence in the emergence, detection, or mitigation of situations of workplace violence.
• Develop a new reference framework based on the Decent Work model, with a focus on gender and inclusion.
• Generate transferable knowledge that improves people management, organisational culture, and emotional security in the workplace.

FIELD OF ACTION

The project focuses on the healthcare sector, an area where the diversity of roles and high level of human interaction make it essential to ensure safe, healthy and respectful working environments.

The research and validation activities will be carried out in several European Union countries, ensuring a comparative perspective and practical applicability in different organisational contexts.

KEY RESULTS

Among the main results is the creation of a new European questionnaire on gender-based violence at work (GBVW_Q), which will complement the Decent Work Questionnaire (DWQ).

This tool will make it possible to assess the working environment, identify risks and measure the impact of company policies on equality and well-being.