Battle lines drawn in UK aid sector over sacking of Oxfam CEO

Controversy has erupted following the departure of Oxfam Great Britain head Halima Begum. Begum left the organization over the weekend following allegations by staff members of bullying, which have since been disputed. An Oxfam spokesperson would not confirm what led to Begum’s departure, telling Devex in an email that it would “be inappropriate to comment on any individual.” However, the charity did send a statement to Devex that some Oxfam staff “raised concerns about culture,” which “informed an independent review that took place” by “an independent specialist consultancy with recognised expertise in workplace culture, equity, and inclusion.” An Oxfam spokesperson had earlier told The Times that the review identified “serious issues in the CEO’s leadership behaviour and her decision-making, including breaches of organisational processes and values and inappropriate interferences into safeguarding and integrity investigations.” The Oxfam GB spokesperson would not confirm those findings for Devex. Initial reports said that the review led Oxfam GB’s board of trustees to unanimously decide Begum should leave the organization. But at least one board member has disputed that account, saying he was not consulted on any resolution calling on Begum to step down. Dr. Balwant Singh has told the media the statement did not “reflect my views as a trustee.” And he accused the person(s) who shared it of “seeking to destroy Halima and her reputation, and to worsen the crises Oxfam is already facing.” Begum did not respond to a request for comment from Devex. But Lawrence Davies, a lawyer and head of Equal Justice Solicitors, wrote on LinkedIn that his firm is representing Begum, and called her the “victim of alleged victimisation and discrimination.” Former colleagues have also come to Begum’s defense, including Shabna Begum, current head of the Runnymede Trust, which campaigns for racial justice. Halima Begum ran the trust until 2023, when she left for a brief stint as head of ActionAid UK, before taking on the Oxfam GB role. Shabna Begum wrote on LinkedIn that her predecessor took over an organization facing budget deficits and contending with “long running internal disputes about racism and sexism, alongside tensions around ‘decolonising’ the way Oxfam GB works. There is a long history of women of colour being demonised when they have been brought in as leaders to do tough work.” Since taking over as CEO in December 2023, Halima Begum oversaw a restructuring process that resulted in 142 people losing their jobs. An additional 116 employees saw their positions change. Oxfam GB, which has been dealing with a decline in income, faced an operating deficit of more than £20 million (around $26.8 million) for the second year in a row. In a message in Oxfam GB’s 2024/2025 annual report, Begum wrote, “We set the foundations for a significant transformation to ensure we can meet the future with confidence. This has meant making difficult decisions, including saying farewell to valued colleagues, while staying focused on delivering life-saving work.” Unite, a leading United Kingdom labor union, launched a campaign in May against Oxfam’s plans to lay off staff and replace them with casual workers who were not part of unions. That led to a series of protests and demonstrations. In a statement shared with Devex, Unite regional coordinating officer Jamie Major said Oxfam’s “workforce is very demoralised. This has been exacerbated by a poorly handled redundancy programme,” as well as an announcement that no one at Oxfam would receive a cost-of-living adjustment in 2025. Following Begum’s departure, Chief Supporter Officer Jan Oldfield has been tapped as interim CEO.