Collective Responsibility, Collective Action: East and Southern Africa Regional Town Hall

East and Southern Africa Regional Town Hall on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Global Health 

WATCH RECORDING

Following 2020 media reports of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) responded, setting up an Independent Commission to establish the facts. Given that 23 of the perpetrators were WHO employees, WHO released a Management Response and Implementation plan in accordance with Commission recommendations. 

While WHO is putting new mechanisms in place, and the UN overall has a system-wide approach to other incidents of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), some civil society organizations (CSOs) are working on their own responses, having  faced cases. The NGO sector is very diverse and despite collaboration between the UN health sector and the CSO health sectors, there is a disconnect between the two on SEAH responses, particularly women-led organizations. 

Overcoming this disconnect would enable a multistakeholder approach to response, prevention, and accountability mechanisms, likely to lead to more sustainable change.  It would also allow for continual evolution of lessons learned, best practices, and the development of survivor-centered approaches which are integrated across all sectors of multilateral work.

Women in Global Health (WGH), with DRC-based CSO ARSF and the African feminist CSO, FEMNET, organized asuccessful CSO-led town hall on 30 March 2022, attended by representatives from WHO, UN and other stakeholders. One of the recommendations highlighted was the need for regional town hall meetings and conversations with regional multilaterals and CSO for in depth engagement and collaborative work. 

Therefore, WGH will be hosting, in partnership with other CSOs, four regional town halls in selected regions where there are high numbers of humanitarian emergencies that expose communities to SEAH. The first one will be an East and Southern Africa town hall which will take place on August 17, 2022. 

The town hall will be a 90 minute virtual session. We will have a series of speakers from various stakeholders followed by Q/A session from participants. Dr. Magda Robalo will deliver the opening remarks followed by the Minister of Health of Malawi, Honorable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, as a Keynote speaker. 

Panelists include:

• Dr. Catherine Sozi, UN Resident Coordinator, Ethiopia
• Dr. Michael Ebele, Regional Humanitarian Advisor, United Nations Population Fund, East and Southern Africa Regional Office
• Ms. Masana Mulaudzi, Program Director, Sonke Gender Justice, South Africa
• Ms. Wairimu Munyinyi Wahome, Executive Director, Coalition on Violence Against Women, Kenya 

Moderated by Dr. Lerato Pitso, Women in Global Health South Africa.