#NoExcuse podcast

Episode 24: ⁠When Sexual Harassment Training Backfires

In this episode of the #NoExcuse podcast, host Guni Dias speaks with Harvard sociologist Frank Dobbin about the complexities of sexual harassment in the workplace, especially within international aid organizations. Dobbin examines contributing factors like power differentials and social isolation and critiques conventional harassment training for its sometimes counterproductive effects. Dobbin highlights effective alternatives such as allyship, bystander intervention training, and enhanced grievance mechanisms, including ombuds offices and dispute resolution processes. The discussion underscores the need for cultural change and proactive leadership to foster harassment-free environments.

Episode 23: ⁠Sex, Power, and Consent: Decoding Sexual Misconduct

Professor Zoe Peterson is a researcher at the Kinsey Institute, which has been a global leader in the study of human sexuality for over 75 years. In this episode, she talks about the intricate relationship between human sexuality and sexual misconduct. Peterson talks about the blurred lines between seduction and coercion and how unwanted sex and non-consensual sex are not the same thing. We hear about the importance of understanding consent and the risk factors associated with perpetration, particularly in the aid sector. We also hear about the need for protective environments, effective prevention strategies, and further research on perpetrators.

Episode 22: Strength in Solidarity: Women’s Rights Organizations Supporting SEA Survivors in Malawi

Lusungu Kalanga and Amanda Bangura are the co-leads supporting victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse in Malawi through their partnership with Women's Rights Organizations. In this podcast, Lusungu and Amanda discuss how important the principles of feminism are to their co-leadership and how it helps them derive joy from the most demanding of roles. We hear about the critical role that women’s rights organizations have in providing support for victims including reporting and advocacy where language barriers and prejudice play a role.

Episode 21: Shifting Leadership Mindsets: Collective Action Against Sexual Misconduct

Victoria McDonough has over 30 years of experience in preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector and is currently a senior victim care officer. In this episode, she shares her story and the recurring challenges organizations face in tackling sexual misconduct, including issues of leadership, accountability, and a focus on compliance rather than meaningful change. Throughout the conversation, Victoria discusses the progress made in creating victim-centered practices, but she notes that much remains to be done to tackle under-reporting of sexual misconduct and support those affected, especially in vulnerable communities.

Episode 20: The Sociology of Sexual Harassment: Gender Dynamics at Work

Dr Marianne Cooper, a Stanford sociologist specializing in gender issues, delves into her research on workplace gender dynamics and sexual harassment. She identifies three cultural and structural factors that fuel misconduct, including the pressure on men to prove masculinity and a contest culture focused on power struggles. Dr Cooper also examines the unique challenges in the aid sector, particularly for field workers, and offers strategies for fostering safer, more equitable workplaces.

Episode 19: Psychopaths and Sexual Misconduct Perpetrators: Common Traits

Nashater Deu Solheim is a psychologist, author and executive coach who has extensive experience working with psychopaths, military personnel and. In this episode, we explore the similarities of psychopathic behaviour and those of sexual misconduct. Nashater helps us identify the behaviours of perpetrators of sexual misconduct, both those who are opportunistic and those who are premeditated offenders, warning signs of grooming behaviours, their escalation, and identifies the challenges in proving misconduct.

Episode 18: No aid without meeting standards of conduct!

In this episode, we had the honor of speaking with Aidan O'Leary, WHO’s Director for polio eradication, who sadly passed away a few weeks after this episode was released. He was a tireless advocate for global health, dedicating his life to eradicating polio and ensuring that aid work was carried out with the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. Since the late 1980s, under the leadership of experts like Aidan, the number of polio cases has been reduced to just a handful each year. In this episode, he shares his invaluable insights on the importance of leadership, integrity, and commitment in achieving this critical mission. His legacy will continue to inspire those dedicated to global health and humanitarian work.

Episode 17: From betrayal to courage: leading organizational change

Elizabeth Broderick was Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner, a UN Special Rapporteur on discrimination against women and girls and led major reviews into the treatment of women in the country’s military, police, parliament and the private sector. In this episode, Elizabeth discusses her journey to becoming a prominent advocate for gender equality. She reflects on her personal experiences of sexual misconduct in the workplace, and how she set about working with some of Australia’s most powerful business and governmental leaders to improve gender equality through her Champions of Change strategy.

Episode 16: Behind the headlines: safeguarding in emergencies

Dr Fiona Braka, WHO's program area manager for emergency response in the African region, talks about the 2021 Independent Commission report on allegations of sexual misconduct during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the previous year. Fiona talks about her shock and horror at learning about the allegations, the sadness she felt for victims and the sense of shame that the allegations were being leveled at the organization by the very communities it was meant to serve.

Episode 15: How sexual exploitation is fuelled by economic interests

In this episode, Dr Jasmine Westendorf, Associate Professor at La Trobe University in Australia, discusses the economic interests that lead to exploitation - and how this can have a lasting impact on a community even when the peace operation moves out. We hear about the false premise of consent in transactional sex, and the long-term effects it has on individuals, communities and trust in the very organizations there to support them. Dr Westendorf talks about the importance of community involvement in responding to exploitation and abuse. She also emphasises the need for further research on prevention and the particular vulnerabilities of different population groups.

Episode 14: Language: the power to heal and harm

Ellie Kemp is the strategic partnership director of the humanitarian linguistic organization, Clear Global. In this episode, Ellie talks about how language is tied up with power dynamics, and how this is amplified within the aid system. In an Anglo-centric sector, professional standards and official documentation are developed in English, reflecting a certain worldview. Ellie says this hinders communication and access to resources for affected communities. Crucially it also affects the reporting and prevention of sexual misconduct, as survivors may not be able to communicate their experiences as effectively and coherently as their abusers.

Episode 13: From prosecuting sex crimes, to protecting communities from aid workers

In this episode, Abigal Averbach, manager of the Coordination Unit of the Protection From Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment at The Global Fund, talks about what needs to happen to achieve zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. Abigail shares her journey from being a US prosecutor to her current role and highlights the lessons she learned from her career. She emphasises the importance of creating trusted and safe reporting systems and the need for partnerships among international agencies. Abigail also emphasises how vital victim survivor-centred support and trauma-informed investigations are for addressing the needs of those affected by sexual misconduct.

Episode 12: Survivor speaks out

In this episode, NASA engineer Bryan Robles, a male survivor of sexual violence, speaks as our first survivor to feature in the "#NoExcuse Podcast" series. Recounting how he connected with WHO’s work on supporting victims and survivors of sexual misconduct, Bryan explains his long journey filled with internal struggle, shame and self-blame. He delivers a powerful message of resilience, self-worth, and the importance of collective action in addressing sexual misconduct and supporting survivors – both female and male. Making links between NASA and WHO, Bryan advocates for not just lip service, but for meaningful survivor-centric culture within all our organizations.

Episode 11: Turning policies into action: leading change on sexual misconduct in the UN system

In this episode, Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, speaks about how she led a culture change to address sexual harassment not just in her agency, UNHCR, but across the UN system. Deputy High Commissioner Clements emphasizes how UNHCR took a survivor-centered approach, and the role of strong and shared leadership to enable organizational change.

Episode 10: Balancing justice and healing in sexual misconduct cases

In this episode, Sigrid Kranawetter, Senior Advisor to the WHO Director-General, discusses the fundamental principle of "Do No Harm" and its connection to preventing and addressing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. She emphasizes the responsibility of public health professionals to uphold ethical standards and prevent harm. While WHO cannot pursue legal action directly against perpetrators, Sigrid highlights the importance of administrative action and collaboration with national authorities.

Episode 9: Decoding the challenges: insights into sexual misconduct investigations

In this episode, we discuss with Lisa McClennon, Director of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (IOS) at the WHO, the vital role of investigations in fostering accountability and preventing future misconduct. She discusses the challenges, principles, and evolving trends in investigating sexual misconduct, emphasizing a victim and survivor-centered approach while maintaining organizational integrity. Additionally, Lisa reflects on her experiences as a female leader of color in historically male-dominated professions, offering invaluable perspectives on leadership and empathy.

Episode 8: Exploring shared experiences: sexual misconduct in the aid and health sector

In this podcast episode, Dr Roopa Dhatt, the Co- Founder and Executive Director of Women in Global Health, addresses the factors perpetuating sexual misconduct in a landscape where women constitute 70% of the health workforce but remain underrepresented in leadership positions. She illuminates the collaborative efforts between Women in Global Health and WHO and shares valuable advice for women, especially those of color, navigating leadership roles in healthcare and humanitarian aid.

Episode 7: First on the ground: how civil society organizations address sexual misconduct by aid workers in communities

In this episode, Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director of FEMNET, a civil society organization (CSO) that champions the voices of African women, highlights the unique position of CSO as first responders in crises. With a call for more action and accountability from international agencies, Memory offers insights into how CSOs can better serve survivors and victims, paving the way for a future free from silence and impunity.

Episode 6: Partnering for change: when organizations in the aid sector work together to assist victims and survivors of sexual misconduct

UN agencies must provide holistic support to any victim or survivor of sexual misconduct by aid-workers, but this work requires expertise and inputs by a wide range of partners. WHO’s partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for victim and survivor support in the Democratic Republic of Congo provides a promising model for how this essential work can be carried out. In this episode, Dr Eugene Kongnyuy, the UNFPA’s Deputy Director for Humanitarian Response Missions describes the UNFPA's work and expertise in supporting victims and survivors, stressing the need for tailored support packages.

Episode 5: Voices from the field: navigating challenges to preventing sexual misconduct in emergency settings

Erin MacDonald is WHO’s Prevention and Response to Sexual Misconduct Technical Officer in Syria. In this latest episode, she sheds light on the pervasive issue of sexual misconduct within the aid sector. Drawing on her experience in emergency settings in places like Ukraine, Ethiopia and South Sudan, she emphasizes the heightened risks in such environments and the urgent need for prevention measures.

Episode 4: Addressing sexual misconduct as a man: stories from conservative settings

In this eye-opening episode, Ibrahim Abu Khalil, WHO's full-time Prevention and Response to Sexual Misconduct Technical Officer, shares his experiences working in high-risk countries like Libya, Liberia, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and now Yemen, shedding light on the intricacies of navigating cultural taboos.

Episode 3: Standing in their shoes: insights from a trailblazer in victim and survivor’s rights

In this transformative episode, United Nations Victims’ Rights Advocate, Assistant Secretary General Jane Connors brings her extensive experience in sexual and gender-based violence to raise awareness for the rights and voices of victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse. Jane reflects on her past, examines the remaining challenges to this issue, and also the drivers that contribute to her unstoppable mission: seeking dignity and respect for survivors.

Episode 2: Gender based violence in society: links with sexual misconduct by aid workers

Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO, joins this second episode of the #NoExcuse podcast to examine the role power plays in the perpetration of sexual misconduct. She sheds light on steps to institutionalize behavioral change and the harm of victim-blaming. Despite the challenges she sees hope in societal shifts to truly address these issues head-on. Listen to this special episode for the #16DaysofActivism against #GenderBasedViolence. Listen to this special episode for the #16DaysofActivism against #GenderBasedViolence.

Episode 1: Cultivating a culture of respect: everyone’s business

In this episode, Dr Gaya Gamhewage, Director of the Department of Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct at the World Health Organization, delves into the challenging topic of sexual misconduct within the humanitarian and development sectors. She discusses her evolving emotions when first confronted with allegations of sexual exploitation.