An elderly woman waits to return home after having had both eyes operated on at the trachoma and trichiasis treatment programme in Napak region, Eastern Uganda
Credit: Simon Townsley
One of the Government’s top foreign aid partners refuses to ban sex with aid recipients despite the Oxfam scandal, The Telegraph can reveal.
An investigation by the Telegraph found that Sightsavers, who provide international development work for the blind and visually impaired, do not ban their staff having a sexual relationship with those who receive aid.
It instead said that it banned “any form of exploitative or abusive relationship with a beneficiary” but “it is entirely possible” its staff could be in “completely normal and consensual relationships.”
It comes after the Telegraph revealed that the Government was set to ban all of its direct employees from having sexual relationships with aid recipients, making it “gross misconduct”, whereas it was previously only “strongly discouraged.”
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told the Telegraph that this move did not extend to their contracted partners who have their own policies on sexual relationships, as well as a code of conduct which suppliers have to sign up to.
Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee told the Telegraph that relationships between aid workers and the people they help cannot be completely consensual.
“In 2018, the Government led an international summit on tackling sexual violence in the aid sector. They’re now being made to look like hypocrites by the companies they subcontract aid work to," she said.
“There is always a power imbalance between aid workers and beneficiaries. So for the avoidance of doubt, I would prevent all sexual relationships, as consent would never be clear cut.
“The Government needs to show zero tolerance to sexual exploitation of aid beneficiaries; if their subcontractors can’t guarantee that — don’t fund them.
“It turns my stomach that organisations funded by the taxpayer, to help the most vulnerable in the world, are instead allowing their staff to sexually exploit them with impunity.”
Two other organisations who partnered with the Government also did not ban the practice, instead claiming they were committed to stamping out transactional, abusing, exploitative or harassing relationships.
The three organisations who are part gold and silver tier partners of the FCDO, constitute the most trusted to deliver best practice of their supply partners.
Mott MacDonald, the London School of Economics and Sightsavers told the Telegraph that their policies did not class all sexual relationships by their staff and volunteers as gross misconduct.
A Sightsavers spokesperson said: "Absolutely anyone involved in any form of exploitative or abusive relationship with a beneficiary will be sacked. No ifs or buts.
“It is entirely possible that our staff will have or be in completely normal and consensual relationships which are in no way abusive or exploitative with, for example, someone who accesses local health services or belongs to a Disabled People’s Organisation, and who could therefore be seen as a beneficiary of the organisation."
A spokesperson for Mott MacDonald said:"We are committed to challenging and eradicating abusive, exploitative and harassing behaviours and misconduct throughout the aid sector, and are driving forward efforts to raise standards in humanitarian assistance and international development work.
“We continue to work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and private sector suppliers and are active members in safeguarding networks such as the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub."
A spokesperson for LSE said: The contract with FCDO contains relevant safeguarding clauses in relation to contracted workers terms and conditions. This includes sexual misconduct in its definition of ‘serious’ or gross misconduct.
“The relevant safeguarding clauses specifically refer to transactional sex, which includes with those receiving aid, as serious misconduct.”
The FCDO said that they would take “swift action” if they found an organisation they work with which didn’t uphold their standards and that they saw “no evidence” of the Telegraph’s characterisation of its partner’s policies.
The department would not comment on whether they would look at bringing forward policies to bring their funding agreements with their contractors in line with Government employees.
A spokesperson said: “Safeguarding is a top priority for the FCDO. We have been clear to all the partners we work with that sexual exploitation and abuse by anybody involved in delivering our programmes constitutes grounds to end funding. This is made plain in our funding agreements.”
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