Not so clear: gender-based violence in British Columbia’s tree-planting industry

In Canada, tree planting is considered a mythical summer job. This national rite of passage received an additional boost when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently promised to plant two billion trees. “To clean the air and make our communities greener.”

And yet, when women and diverse people enter the world of tree planting, they experience high rates of gender-based violence from sexual harassment to assault, as well as promotional barriers and unequal treatment. Forms of gender-based violence are endemic in almost all industries, but for tree planters, this damage occurs in an environment that is largely isolated, remote, and removed from typical neglects, expectations, or rules.

I have recently completed an industry study and found that when complaints are made, they are often resolved with deliberate mishandling, casual negligence, and active silencing on the part of company management. Similarly, the failure of regulators to hold companies accountable has compounded the problem.

In the past two years, a handful of articles, stimulated by survivor defense, have shed light on this urgent issue. There have long been ‘whisper networks’, informal in-person and online conversations between tree planting survivors and their supporters about harm, healing and who to watch out for, but eventually incidents of gender-based violence are publicly discussed. .

Industry leadership has recognized that these #MeToo stories are “deeply disturbing, even traumatic, ”But there is a disconnect between this recognition and the responsive action of individual companies and industry workgroups. In most companies, management is dominated by men. With few exceptions, there are unclear human resource systems, a lack of respectful workplace training, anemic anti-violence policies, and often no one safe to talk to. In many accounts, the perpetrators were members of the management who continue to monitor the camps and company operations.

These factors come together to create a “perfect storm”, making tree planting camps dangerous for women and people of diverse gender. Like a tree planter shared: “You must be fully aware that your safety is not valued and that you are a sexual object. You must be on the lookout for predators; you need to know who has a history of sexual harassment at your camp. Try to have a friend you can turn to because you will need one if something happens. This is a dangerous industry, and it is valued only for putting trees in the ground. “

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The planters I spoke with also reported that tree planting could be a wonderful and transformative opportunity for women and people with gender diversity. I heard stories of survival, support, solidarity and healing. I asked each planter interviewed what they liked about planting, and each expressed how planting had been one of the most difficult experiences of their lives, but the camps were also places where they had their best days and lived their best lives.

One said, “I loved being outside. It was really healing. And every day, you form these bonds with people (who) are really special. And I really liked pushing myself physically and feeling like I was doing something meaningful and stepping out of my comfort zone as a woman. ”

In fact, sowing is a rare place where women and people with gender diversity can work in a resource-based and physically demanding industry outside of gender norms. This rarity must be protected.

When asked what would make planting safer, the planters I spoke to had many ideas. They repeatedly stressed that the development of trauma-informed policies would be an important start. Many tree planting companies lack even a basic protocol for handling harassment. Other respondents said that more women and people with gender diversity need to be empowered to fill leadership positions. Finally, the planters suggested that mandatory anti-oppression training for management and bystander awareness training for employees would lead to changes in incident response. Generally speaking, the planters I spoke to think that the normalized hyper-masculine plantation culture is long overdue for cultural overhaul.

Tree planting companies are capable of changing rapidly. When COVID-19 swept through the province in March and April 2020, just as the largest growing season in British Columbia history began, the industry stopped. Industry leaders quickly obtained community permission to operate and public funds to ensure that the transitional workforce could comply with provincial safety regulations. Were these measurements perfect? No. But they show that the industry can react quickly to large-scale societal changes when under pressure to do so.

As one advocate trying to change her company put it: “Hopefully the culture catches up quickly. We need them to understand that the language they use and the decisions they make count… These people keep telling me to slow down, but they don’t understand that it is too late. It’s too late. We have to run. We have to run now. We have to, because we lost the opportunity to keep people safe. There is so much to do. We need to move together in this direction now. “

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, help is available. This Ending Violence Canada “Getting help” The resource can be used to find different support service options across the country.

Jennie Long is a researcher, writer, facilitator, and policy consultant.