Powerful men, failing upwards: the aid industry and the ‘Me Too’ movement
Powerful men, failing upwards: the aid industry and the ‘Me Too’ movement
In 2018, the global #MeToo movement turned its attention to the aid industry, after scandals at Oxfam and Save the Children highlighted the sexual harassment, abuse and assault prevalent in the sector. This article explores #MeToo in the context of the aid industry (informally known by many participants as #AidToo), particularly within a British context. The article argues that the aid industry exists in a historical, social and political space that is particularly volatile. The abusive behaviour of men in the sector is shaped and enabled by race, class and gender inequalities, which undermine many of the stated aims of international aid programmes. The humanitarian and development aid sector will not eradicate this behaviour until it recognises how it is enabled and encouraged by these inequalities. The article argues that the aid sector needs to develop an ethical code of conduct around sexual relationships, harassment and abuse that recognises power inequalities within the sector and seeks to protect vulnerable individuals.
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Riley, Charlotte Lydia
47a3bd51-8e69-45f5-919e-3c64e60b8a91
Riley, Charlotte Lydia
47a3bd51-8e69-45f5-919e-3c64e60b8a91
Riley, Charlotte Lydia
(2021)
Powerful men, failing upwards: the aid industry and the ‘Me Too’ movement.
Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, 2 (3), .
(doi:10.7227/JHA.052).
Abstract
In 2018, the global #MeToo movement turned its attention to the aid industry, after scandals at Oxfam and Save the Children highlighted the sexual harassment, abuse and assault prevalent in the sector. This article explores #MeToo in the context of the aid industry (informally known by many participants as #AidToo), particularly within a British context. The article argues that the aid industry exists in a historical, social and political space that is particularly volatile. The abusive behaviour of men in the sector is shaped and enabled by race, class and gender inequalities, which undermine many of the stated aims of international aid programmes. The humanitarian and development aid sector will not eradicate this behaviour until it recognises how it is enabled and encouraged by these inequalities. The article argues that the aid sector needs to develop an ethical code of conduct around sexual relationships, harassment and abuse that recognises power inequalities within the sector and seeks to protect vulnerable individuals.
Text
[25156411 - Journal of Humanitarian Affairs] Powerful Men, Failing Upwards
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Accepted/In Press date: 1 September 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 4 March 2021
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Local EPrints ID: 448628
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/448628
ISSN: 2515-6411
PURE UUID: 1e810230-e558-4a76-9539-a91bc69bdf7a
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Date deposited: 28 Apr 2021 16:33
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:39
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