International aid workers face sexual assaults, report

Unpublished
London - Women working for international aid agencies are facing a hidden threat of sexual violence and harassment which their employers routinely ignore or sweep under the carpet, according to testimonies gathered by the British Guardian newspaper. While exact statistics on the scale of sexual assault in the sector are hard to come by, many working for humanitarian groups worldwide say sexual predation is an unreported and growing evil that needs to be addressed by those at the top. Women have told the Guardian that organisations – from major international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to smaller charities – are failing to support and protect their workers from sexual abuse. Victims who speak out are often labelled troublemakers. One American aid worker, Sarah Pierce, said she was sacked this year by the Atlanta-based Carter Center after being raped by a colleague from a local NGO while working in South Sudan. “I received little justice and no support,” said Pierce (not her real name). “It wasn’t ‘Are you OK? Do you need medical attention?’ After I continued to speak out about what had happened and the organisation’s failure to meet the basic duty of care to its staff, I was fired.” The Carter Center insists it supported Pierce, adding: “She was provided medical treatment and encouraged and supported to seek counselling.” It refused to comment on why her contract was subsequently terminated, citing the need to maintain confidentiality in such cases. The Headington Institute in California, which provides psychological support for aid workers, has begun research to assess the scale of the problem. Alicia Jones, its assistant director, said: “This is massively underreported: no one has an accurate read on this at the moment. Most agencies are hearing about these events internally, but survivors are choosing not to report for a variety of reasons.(FA)

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