Press. voanews.com
The
United Nations is implementing new steps to protect its staff from sexual
harassment in the workplace and hold perpetrators accountable. "We will
not tolerate sexual harassment anytime, anywhere," Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres told reporters Friday. "I am well aware of the
male-dominated culture that permeates governments, the private sector,
international organizations and even areas of civil society."
The
organization announced the initiative in the wake of a growing international
movement to hold accountable perpetrators of sexual misconduct in the
workplace. Social media movements including #MeToo and #TimesUp, which started
in the film industry and exposed powerful producers, directors and actors, have
spread across society. In the process, they have ended the careers of powerful
members of the media, politicians and businessmen.
The
United Nations has not been exempt. The British newspaper The Guardian
published a lengthy investigation last month, citing more than a dozen unnamed
U.N. staff who said they had been victims of workplace sexual harassment and
even sexual assault during the past five years.
Several
accusers said they were afraid to report the abuses because they feared
retribution that would end their U.N. careers. Three of the female accusers
interviewed by The Guardian said they had reported sexual harassment or assault
and had been forced out of their jobs or threatened with that, while the
alleged violators remained employed. Others reported having been discouraged by
colleagues or internal watchdogs from pursuing complaints.
Plan of
action
Guterres
said the organization would implement five concrete steps to tackle the
problem. "We are committed to taking every allegation seriously — past and
present," he said. Guterres said a hotline would be operational by
midmonth that staff could use to seek confidential advice. He also announced
establishment of a new task force to "step up efforts to tackle harassment
and boost support for victims," as well as a "rapid response
team" to offer guidance, information and services to victims.
Guterres
said the U.N. would soon carry out a staff survey to get a better grasp on the
prevalence of sexual misconduct and reporting rates. The world body also plans
to enhance protections for whistle-blowers.
The U.N.
chief has been a vocal advocate of gender parity in the organization's senior
ranks as a major goal of his first year in office and announced recently that
women now slightly exceed men in senior posts, 23 to 21.
"We
will continue to change the dynamic and put greater power into the hands of
women to prevent and end sexual harassment and all abuse of power in the
U.N.," Guterres added. The U.N. has for years tried to eradicate
peacekeeping forces' sexual abuse and exploitation of the civilians they
protect, but this is the first time the organization has taken such a public
stand on sexual misconduct by its own staff.
.jpg)
