Charities told to take action against sex abuse
● Minister informs regulators and experts ‘now is the time for action’
Aid charities will today be told to take action to restore trust and improve standards following the sex scandal which engulfed the sector.
Ahead of a London summit, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and the Charity Commission told charities, regulatory bodies and experts that it was a “crucial moment” and “now is the time for action”.
Msmordaunthasalsotasked delegates to come up with measures to ensure whistleblowers and survivors of exploitation or abuse are given counselling and support, the creation of an independent body to ensure standards and scrutiny, and new standards of vetting and referencing.
Attendees must also set out how they will change culture to tackle power imbalances, encourage reporting of abuse, take allegations more
0 Oxfam ambassador Annie Lennox says she will not walk away from the charity despite the aid worker sex scandal seriously and hold people to account.
NGOS and charities in attendance will sign a joint statement setting out the key principles they will adhere to, and agree a set of practical actions to take forward in an effort to improve standards and restore trust in the sector.
Ms Mordaunt said ahead of the event: “Now is the time for action. The aid sector needs to ensure it is meeting its duty of care to the world’s most vulnerable people. It needs to be honest about past mistakes. It must do all it can to win back the trust of the British public.”
Charity Commission chairwoman Baroness Stowell said: “Not only have some aid workers abused the people they were sent to support, but by not exposing and responding to these serious failings properly at the time, charities have betrayed the public’s trust in Global Oxfam ambassador Annie Lennox has vowed she is “not going to walk away” from the charity amid the aid worker sex scandal.
Lennox, 63, has said she is “staying loyal to them” as Oxfam GB was temporarily suspended in Haiti pending an investigation into how the charity handled the case of former staff paying for sex.
The former Eurythmics singer supported Oxfam’s Haiti appeal at the time, and has praised their “extraordinary work” across the world.
Lennox said her women’s network, the Circle, would stopworkingwiththecharity if it does not improve. what the word charity actually means. I am encouraged to see leaders of international aid agencies coming together at today’s summit.”