Giving Compass' Take:

• Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, a native Haitian, offers ways for organizations to effectively safeguard in the #AidToo era. 

• What organizations are already doing this well? How can philanthropy support organizations working to improve their policies and practices? 

• Learn why no one in Haiti was surprised by the Oxfam scandal.

Since the Oxfam scandal, the aid sector has been focusing on safeguarding with a #MeToo and #AidToo focus. Recently, I’ve been asked to write about the source and implications of the scandal from a Global South perspective (I was born and raised in Haiti, and I’ve been working there for the past eight years.) However, for most of my professional life, I’ve been working in the Global North as an executive leader and nonprofit practitioner and management consultant.

Power imbalances are at the source of these issues. International organizations and institutions go into financially poor Global South countries with budgets larger than government agencies and a lot of political power. There are many good people working in the field, but the truth is, aid workers are human beings and not necessarily “heroes.”

No one in Haiti was surprised by the Oxfam scandal. Abuse stories (sexual or not) are common in the aid industry in Haiti, Africa, and beyond.

Some pieces of advice from my perspective:

1. Start the conversation regarding safeguarding. 
Be proactive not reactive. What does it mean in terms of the organization and its culture? What are your values? If you stand for gender equality and against abuse, do your practices reflect that? How are you inclusive of women’s leadership?

2. Develop a documented policy.
Develop a safeguarding policy statement regarding your values and practices. Document it and integrate it in the operations of your organizations.

3. If you have a policy, make sure that you make provision for consequences. 

4. If your values and policies promote cultural change, your leadership must set the tone and back it up.

5. Be consistent. 

6. Don’t be afraid to take stands against abuse. 
Whether it’s a local or international organization committing the crime or infraction, we need to speak up and report it.

Read the full article about safegaurding by Marie-Rose Romain Murphy at GlobalGiving.