The United Kingdom’s charity regulator has issued a formal safeguarding alert to 5,000 international development organizations to encourage NGOs to take further action against exploitation and abuse.
“We continue to see cases of harm perpetrated by people in positions of power in charities working overseas,” said Helen Stephenson, chief executive at The Charity Commission.
Despite widespread shock and promises of reform following the 2018 Oxfam scandal, allegations accusing aid workers of sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment have continued to surface.
The commission recorded a 36% increase in reports of serious incidents by NGOs: with reports specific to safeguarding issues rising from 2,504 between 2018-2019 to 3,411 between 2019-2020. A commission statement said the increase indicated improved reporting and complaint mechanisms.
The alert came with a reminder that effective safeguarding work is “never complete” and highlighted best practices NGOs can use, which have already been deployed by some organizations. These include responding quickly to complaints, improving reporting mechanisms, and taking a survivor-orientated approach in responding to allegations.
“No one should ever be exposed to abuse or exploitation, but when people are harmed while in the care of a charity, it undermines the very meaning of charity,” said Stephenson.
Why does it matter: The commission’s alert is a sign that pressure on the sector to place more emphasis on safeguarding is unlikely to go away soon and that NGOs will have to continue reforming safeguarding policies.
“Leaders of international aid charities need to ensure they have the systems and structures in place that prevent and root out harmful behaviour and empower victims and survivors to raise concerns. But systems alone are never enough — they need to be underpinned by leaders who place the highest priority on keeping people safe. There is simply no room for complacency,” Stephenson said.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
