Dozens of UN employees have alleged sexual harassment and assault have run rampant at United Nations offices around the world, with victims afraid to come forward and perpetrators rarely punished.
Victims described a culture of silence across the organization and a flawed grievance system that is stacked against victims, even have been threatened with having their jobs terminated.
In a report 15 current and former female U.N. staffs said they had experienced harassment or assault in the past five years. Seven of the women said they had reported the offences, which ranged from verbal harassment to rape.
“If you report it, your career is pretty much over, especially if you’re a consultant,” said one consultant, who alleged she was harassed by her supervisor while working for the World Food Programme. “It’s like an unsaid thing.”
One of the women, who alleges she was raped by a more senior UN staff member while working in a remote location, said: “There are no other options to get justice, and I have lost my job too.”
She said that despite medical evidence and witness testimonies, an internal investigation by the UN found insufficient evidence to support her allegation. Along with her job, she says she has lost her visa and has spent months in hospital due to stress and trauma. She fears she will face persecution if she returns to her home country.
The U.N. tracks allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against U.N. staff, and even features a real-time table of the reported offenses on its website. It also lays out prevention, enforcement and remedial measures aimed at addressing the problem.
The organization acknowledges on its site: “When United Nations personnel commit acts of sexual exploitation and abuse against the very people who look to the Organization for protection and assistance, the trust between the UN and its beneficiaries is undermined.”
>Juthy Saha
