Domestic violence: what is it?
According to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the latter includes “all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occur within the family or domestic unit or between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence with the victim.”
In 2025, ENGIE partners with AXA to create “safe spaces” within the company
Home is often the most dangerous place for a person experiencing domestic violence. While these acts occur in the private sphere, the workplace can serve as an essential refuge: a place where victims can be identified, heard, and supported.
ENGIE is partnering with AXA to launch the Safe Spaces training program, developed with support from experts and NGOs. Translated into 12 languages, this training will be offered to employees of ENGIE, Accor, L’Oréal, LVMH, Orange, Publicis Groupe France and AXA.
Through this partnership, ENGIE will offer employees a new training module available starting November 25.
Based on the 3R methodology (Recognize, Respond, Refer) promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Women, this interactive training provides practical resources and real-life testimonials to help everyone identify signs of violence, respond with empathy, and guide victims toward appropriate support services.
 | “Domestic violence does not stop at the company gates. By joining the Safe Spaces initiative, we strengthen our shared responsibility to provide a safe and caring workplace.” Jean-Sébastien Blanc, Executive Vice President in charge of Human Resources and ENGIE HQ |
ENGIE, a pioneer in protecting women from violence
Since 2019 and its participation in the French “Grenelle” (national summit) on domestic violence, ENGIE has taken concrete steps to prevent and combat violence: providing tools and resources for HR teams and managers, displaying hotline numbers on the bills of 11 million customers in France, signing the 2021 “Economic Actors Against Violence” Manifesto, and signing the Global Social Agreement on Fundamental Rights in 2022.
The guide launched in 2023 by ENGIE, ‘Preventing and combating domestic violence’, presents three areas of best practice (informing staff, training HR departments and supporting victims) to be implemented locally, depending on the resources available in each of the countries where ENGIE operates.
