In the last 24 hours two aid agencies – both highly resourced, with considerable global influence – have come under fire for failing to act on staff claims of harassment and abuse. UNAids was found by the International Labour Organisation to have failed in its duty of care towards a senior member of staff who … Read more
I have written fairly extensively on the moral dimensions of aid work and how what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, in terms of aidworker motivations, is not as clear cut as often assumed (examples here and here). I would like to return to this issue in light of recent reports of sexual misconduct at Medecins Sans … Read more
What problems do we face with mapping a way forward in the current crisis affecting the aid sector? This was one of the issues we were tackling yesterday at a timely and engaging conference – Civil Society Under Attack – attended by practitioners and academics, and organised by Angela Crack at the University of Portsmouth. … Read more
My article for the Conversation – addressing a much needed debate on the power imbalances and permissiveness within aid environments. The power imbalance in aid work is under the spotlight. from www.shutterstock.com Gemma Houldey, University of Sussex Sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse – some of which reportedly occurred at Oxfam in Haiti and has involved … Read more
The media is currently ablaze with reports and commentary about allegations of sexual misconduct and impunity at Oxfam and elsewhere. And government officials are taking this opportunity to give the entire aid sector a bad name; suggesting that sexual abuse is an institutional problem that requires a dramatic and uncompromising response, such as cutting foreign … Read more