I was shocked and dismayed to learn of these gross offenses, and disappointed to realize that even those with good intentions at heart are subject to the evils of the human form. Or, perhaps the very call to work in a supposedly glorified and distinguished position, as is often seen within these already decimated and impoverished communities, appeals to the sociopathic tendencies that would then permit them to avail of the inherent power-imbalance that the aid and NGO industry exacerbates.
The data was collected through field visits, focus groups, and interviews in locations where Save the Children International have projects: Haiti, Cote d'Ivoire, and Sudan. The interviews would reveal very explicit stories of abuse at the hands of foreign aid workers, peacekeepers, and local staff of NGOs. The whole spectrum of sexual abuse, from verbal sexual harassment, to forced/coerced sexual assault was revealed, often with the exchange for money, material goods, perceived promise of protection and security, or the basics of human subsistence, food and clean water.
Naturally, children are the most vulnerable in any population, and this study revealed that children displaced from their home communities, children from especially poor families, and children whose families are dependent on humanitarian aid. Orphans were also particularly susceptible, suffering the double offense of sexual exploitation, and then the absence of a parental figure to advocate for the child, to seek redress.
The perpetrators were found to be members of 23 humanitarian, peacekeeping, and security organizations, with a particular source being the UN Department of Peacekeeping Organizations. Outside the scope of this report, it is difficult to quantify to extent of the abuses, given the undereporting by victim, and the absence of a reporting system within each of these organizations.
It isn't hard to imagine the reasons for under-reporting, when these children come to understand that sex can be used as a survival tactic. And, the risk of losing the protection and security of much needed resources is enough to suspend the need for one's physical integrity. This only speaks to the double failure of the aid community, to subject these already disadvantaged population to further affronts to their security, and that aid is insufficient in sustaining those most in need, and instead further deepens this power differential. Stigmatisation is a powerful social element, as womanhood and purity are integral to a girl's identity and perception within her community, which also can cause negative economic ramifications for the family, who cannot marry out their daughter for the gain of a dowry. Even if a victim summoned the strength to step forward, there is a general lack of confidence in the system, for both reporting and for discipline, of those who perpetrate the abuse.
What should the international community do about this?
Below is some proposed solutions put forth by Save the Children
- Formation of interagency bodies that then provide evaluation and policing of the NGO agencies
- NGOs developing internal standards of conduct
- Implementing effective local complaints mechanisms for reporting abuse
- Formation of a new global watchdog
- Tackling the root causes or drivers of abuse: this goes beyond monitoring and reprimanding individuals within aid and peacekeeping agencies, but looking at the systematic failures of child protection services within the communities.
The only other thing I would like to see added is an ongoing evaluation mechanism for the effectiveness of these 'interventions'. Since this problem was identified in 2002, the extent of child sexual exploitation has not diminished, but has indeed increased. Are we to wait another 6, 12, 20 years for another field-based qualitative review of the issue, revealing that yet more years of child abuse have occurred?
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