An investigation into the United Nations involving dozens of employees from more than 10 countries revealed a culture where women who report sexual misconduct subsequently “go through hell.”
Current and recent employees from eight different U.N. agencies told the U.K. newspaper The Guardian for an exclusive exposé published Thursday that reporting sexual misconduct is a professional death knell. Staff who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were threatened by U.N. officials for filing grievances and told by colleagues not to pursue complaints.
“If you report it, your career is pretty much over, especially if you’re a consultant,” a woman who worked for the World Food Program told the newspaper. “It’s like an unsaid thing.”
“There are no other options to get justice, and I have lost my job,” another woman said the U.N.’s investigative body — the office of internal oversight services (OIOS) — which allegedly fails to question key witnesses.
Peter Gallo, a former OIOS investigator who left the U.N. in 2015, told The Guardian that he was told “not to publicly embarrass the organization” in his search for answers.
A woman who works on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Middle East said she successfully filed a complaint tens years ago, but warned other women about coming forward today.
“I am loath to encourage people to complain. If you are willing to go through hell, go for it,” she said. “It’s atrocious, because this is an organization that’s supposed to stand up for everyone’s rights. […] We’re such hypocrites.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres countered such claims by saying the organization has “prioritized addressing sexual harassment and upholding the zero tolerance policy,” The Guardian reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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