We demand of Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF and appointed global champion of Discrimination and Harassment of Female Aid Workers, to actively realize a One-Stop-Shop where female aid workers in the UN and NGO system can access first-line legal, medical and psychological care when experiencing harassment and abuse in the humanitarian workplace-- a phenomenon which HWN and its partners have determined to be pervasive and persistent.
We additionally demand that this One-Stop-Shop operate independently to ensure an impartial and confidential service, and that its operating costs be co-shared by the IASC membership. The platform would maintain an independent, anonymized record of cases and their locations to be used to detect, in real-time, hotspots of concern and to ensure policies conducive to a safe workplace for the tens of thousands of women working in the humanitarian aid industry.
Reports from Humanitarian Women’s Network (HWN, 2016), Report the Abuse (2017) and Tufts University (2017) show that women humanitarian actors are facing high levels of sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. Top line results of the HWN’s survey show that out of a sample of 1,005 women working in the humanitarian industry, nearly 50 per cent of respondents report having been touched in an unwanted way and 4 per cent report rape by a male colleague.
WE DEMAND A DIFFERENCE. WE DEMAND A DEFENSE.
Updates
November 25, 2018
Seeing this grow has been completely overwhelming and I keep thinking about how this reflects your collective refusal to look away from these hard truths. You are the ones driving this momentum and I am just humbled to be watching it unfold alongside you.
23 Comments
Been harassed too. It has been long time since our voices should be heard. Waiting time is over.
I was also groped, harassed and mollested by male colleagues more than once. I have also defended and supported my colleagues who were similarly treated. As a result of which, I changed focus of my career to Accountability’ and have now ensured that more than one culprits have been fired for inappropriate behaviour. However, I am painfully aware of other cases that have not been appropriately investigated. We must have an independent group to investigate, as agencies do not all have the knowledge or inclination to investigate cases properly.
This is radical. But to continue to be effective in our work, particularly as we establish and maintain important accountability mechanisms and standards in our own work, we also must feel safe and protected! So let’s push these organizations to live up to what we preach!
The further gap is that women on short term contract will always be subject to abuse (see African Union “jobs for sex” expose on BBC) and with a short term contract there is no protection ever.
We need immediate action to support survivors and provide them with safe, high-quality support. #HearMeToo is equally a call for action to change the humanitarian workplace for the better.
We demand accessible and independent support for women in aid-work who are subject to discrimination, harassment and abuse.
A critical petition. Change is a MUST
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We demand of Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF and appointed global champion of Discrimination and Harassment of Female Aid Workers, to actively realize a One-Stop-Shop where female aid workers in the UN and NGO system can access first-line legal, medical and psychological care when experiencing harassment and abuse in the humanitarian workplace-- a phenomenon which HWN and its partners have determined to be pervasive and persistent.
We additionally demand that this One-Stop-Shop operate independently to ensure an impartial and confidential service, and that its operating costs be co-shared by the IASC membership. The platform would maintain an independent, anonymized record of cases and their locations to be used to detect, in real-time, hotspots of concern and to ensure policies conducive to a safe workplace for the tens of thousands of women working in the humanitarian aid industry.
Reports from Humanitarian Women’s Network (HWN, 2016), Report the Abuse (2017) and Tufts University (2017) show that women humanitarian actors are facing high levels of sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. Top line results of the HWN’s survey show that out of a sample of 1,005 women working in the humanitarian industry, nearly 50 per cent of respondents report having been touched in an unwanted way and 4 per cent report rape by a male colleague.
WE DEMAND A DIFFERENCE. WE DEMAND A DEFENSE.
Updates
November 25, 2018
Seeing this grow has been completely overwhelming and I keep thinking about how this reflects your collective refusal to look away from these hard truths. You are the ones driving this momentum and I am just humbled to be watching it unfold alongside you.
23 Comments
UN has 0 tolerance policy, which is complete crap and political demagogy. UN officials, Director Generals, HRMD, Ethics Office deliver nice speeches about 0 tolerance and abuse their power in any possible to protect sexual perpetrator because of the hidden agenda...WIPO is one of those UN agencies.. !
Been harassed too. It has been long time since our voices should be heard. Waiting time is over.
I was also groped, harassed and mollested by male colleagues more than once. I have also defended and supported my colleagues who were similarly treated. As a result of which, I changed focus of my career to Accountability’ and have now ensured that more than one culprits have been fired for inappropriate behaviour. However, I am painfully aware of other cases that have not been appropriately investigated. We must have an independent group to investigate, as agencies do not all have the knowledge or inclination to investigate cases properly.
This is radical. But to continue to be effective in our work, particularly as we establish and maintain important accountability mechanisms and standards in our own work, we also must feel safe and protected! So let’s push these organizations to live up to what we preach!
The further gap is that women on short term contract will always be subject to abuse (see African Union “jobs for sex” expose on BBC) and with a short term contract there is no protection ever.
We need immediate action to support survivors and provide them with safe, high-quality support. #HearMeToo is equally a call for action to change the humanitarian workplace for the better.
We demand accessible and independent support for women in aid-work who are subject to discrimination, harassment and abuse.
A critical petition. Change is a MUST
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UN has 0 tolerance policy, which is complete crap and political demagogy. UN officials, Director Generals, HRMD, Ethics Office deliver nice speeches about 0 tolerance and abuse their power in any possible to protect sexual perpetrator because of the hidden agenda...WIPO is one of those UN agencies.. !