More than 50 women accused aid workers with large humanitarian NGOs of sexual abuse during the 2018-2020 Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including some from the Christian group World Vision.
Several women said they were forced to have sex in exchange for a job, or to avoid the termination of a contract. It was reported that this kind of abuse is common in countries where there is a culture of sexual exploitation.
Among the testimonies collected by the investigation, five women reported that they were exploited by ‘men who said they worked for World Vision’. The Christian organisation has released a statement, stressing that they are ‘shocked and horrified’.
They explained that ‘when we first heard about these allegations, from the journalists involved in the article, we immediately launched a globally-led investigation, which is ongoing’.
‘Sexual exploitation or abuse is unacceptable in any World Vision operation, and we will act on all the investigation’s findings’, this non-governmental organisation added.
World Vision has committed to: ‘Reassess our own programmes in order to modify and make certain that our current systems are providing an environment where women feel safe to report any incidents.
‘As a Christian humanitarian organisation working in some of the most fragile and conflict-affected places in the world, our number-one priority is the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable adults in our programming. We do not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse or violence, whether committed by our staff, volunteers or contractors.’
Guilt & shame: The gospel is big enough to address both
Note: this article contains references to abuse.When Leanne first shared her story in our women's group, the room fell …