Dr Fiona Braka, WHO's program area manager for emergency response in the African region, talks about the 2021 Independent Commission report on allegations of sexual misconduct during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the previous year.

Fiona talks about her shock and horror at learning about the allegations, the sadness she felt for victims and the sense of shame that the allegations were being leveled at the organization by the very communities it was meant to serve.

While there are still challenges around funding and resources, we learn about the steps taken since the report to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse in emergency operations - and the work going into rebuilding trust within communities.

Abigail Averbach is the manager of the Coordination Unit of the Protection From Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment at The Global Fund. In this episode, Abigal talks about what needs to happen to achieve zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.

Abigail shares her journey from being a US prosecutor to her current role and highlights the lessons she learned from her career.

She emphasises the importance of creating trusted and safe reporting systems and the need for partnerships among international agencies. Abigail also emphasises how vital victim survivor-centred support and trauma-informed investigations are for addressing the needs of those affected by sexual misconduct.

NASA engineer Bryan Robles, a male survivor of sexual violence, speaks as our first survivor to feature in the "#NoExcuse Podcast" series. Recounting how he connected with WHO’s work on supporting victims and survivors of sexual misconduct, Bryan explains his long journey filled with internal struggle, shame and self-blame. He shares why he chose to speak publicly about his experience. He delivers a powerful message of resilience, self-worth, and the importance of collective action in addressing sexual misconduct and supporting survivors – both female and male. Making links between NASA and WHO, Bryan advocates for not just lip service, but for meaningful survivor-centric culture within all our organizations.

In this episode, Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, speaks about how she led a culture change to address sexual harassment not just in her agency, UNHCR, but across the UN system. Deputy High Commissioner Clements emphasizes how UNHCR took a survivor-centered approach, and the role of strong and shared leadership to enable organizational change.

In this episode of the #NoExcuse Podcast by the World Health Organization (WHO), Sigrid Kranawetter, Senior Advisor to the WHO Director-General, discusses the fundamental principle of "Do No Harm" and its connection to preventing and addressing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. She emphasizes the responsibility of public health professionals to uphold ethical standards and prevent harm. Sigrid explains the challenges of enforcing accountability within international organizations like WHO, particularly when dealing with sexual misconduct by aid workers. While WHO cannot pursue legal action directly against perpetrators, Sigrid highlights the importance of administrative action and collaboration with national authorities. She also discusses empowering survivors and victims to pursue legal action, providing support, and managing expectations regarding resolution. The episode concludes with insights into WHO's efforts to revise policies, build trust, and incorporate member states and partners into joint accountability for preventing sexual misconduct

In this episode, we discuss with Lisa McClennon, Director of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (IOS) at the WHO, the vital role of investigations in fostering accountability and preventing future misconduct. She discusses the challenges, principles, and evolving trends in investigating sexual misconduct, emphasizing a victim and survivor-centered approach while maintaining organizational integrity. Additionally, Lisa reflects on her experiences as a female leader of color in historically male-dominated professions, offering invaluable perspectives on leadership and empathy.