The United Nations Policy on Sexual Abuse

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Every citizen is granted human rights and freedoms regardless of national, racial, or gender background. Acknowledging one’s human rights helps him navigate this world, affirm human dignity, and receive mutual respect from society. The United Nations, the intergovernmental organization, recognizes the right to life, freedom of speech, religion, and education as fundamental human rights, meaning that depriving someone of one of his freedoms is a violation.

One such human rights issue is sexual harassment and abuse, including verbal and non-verbal assaults. It violates victims’ security, autonomy, and equality, creating a significant concern for vulnerable groups such as females and children. Although the UN addresses this issue through the Policy Concerning Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Abuse of Authority, it failed to protect females’ rights in distinct African regions, increasing the necessity to establish new policies.

Before analyzing the effectiveness of the UN’s policy on sexual harassment, it is vital to emphasize this violation’s causes, consequences, and victims. It includes any offending, humiliating, or intimidating action and forces most females to become victims of sexual assault (World Health Organization, [WHO], 2021). Its causes are intertwined with normalized behavior of disrespecting females, offenders’ mental disorders, and the lack of legal punishment for inappropriate gestures or comments. As a result, impacted individuals experience “ongoing stress and trauma detrimental to well-being” (Burn, 2019, p. 97). In extremely damaging situations, victims are prone to suicidal thoughts and developing absenteeism. Consequently, such females live with unhealthy mental patterns that damage their sleep schedules, hormonal balances, and interferences with their lifestyles.

Although governmental and non-governmental agencies started to tackle the problem several decades ago, it still exists and remains ignored in some geographical areas. After the UN’s agency, World Health Organization, introduced the Policy Concerning Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Abuse of Authority in March 2021, the citizens expected it to be inclusive to all distant areas (WHO, 2021). Even though 30% of females in the US report being harassed at least once in a lifetime, the most vulnerable groups are those living in poverty, illiteracy, war, and violence (Burn, 2019). This fact hints that the WHO’s policy neglected this population, prioritizing more safe environments over females in the African subcontinent.

The UN’s policy on sexual harassment considers abusive conduct unacceptable and acknowledges formal complaint as the most effective decision to resolve the situation. However, its inaction regarding the distant African areas resulted in frequent sexual abuse and exploitation during the last Ebola outbreak in the Republic of Congo (WHO, 2022). Current reports suggest that the WHO (2022) “did not take adequate actions to prevent it, actions that included conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, putting in place preventive measures” (p. 2). That is why the policy failed to become inclusive and supportive toward all populations.

The reason why the African continent has become a vulnerable area for sexual harassment that was neglected by the WHO’s policy relies on its culture and set of accepted behaviors. Approximately 70% of women dealing with intimate partner violence justify wife-beating (Hoover, 2019). Moreover, their community norms and social expectations dictate that women should have less autonomy, meaning their partners should control and punish them. It comes from historical inequality, as males tend to undermine their human rights, positioning themselves higher than women. This gender inequality and culture based on patriarchal dominance justifies the risk factors associated with sexual abuse toward Congo females.

During sexual harassment, affected individuals and offenders are directly impacted by the violation. As the victim develops mentally unhealthy behavior patterns, the offender should be penalized for sexual abuse. However, considering that WHO (2022) established a policy to resolve this issue, the list of stakeholders includes “the humanitarian country team, partner agencies, government officials, non-governmental and community-based organizations, victims and survivors, and donor organizations” (p. 3). The only effect on these legal parties is that they should allocate humanitarian and financial help to alleviate the consequences of sexual abuse in the Republic of Congo.

Although the UN’s policy on harassment and sexual abuse failed to protect females during the Ebola outbreak in Africa, it still developed action plans to support the fragile populations. For example, it cooperates with a women-led legal aid non-governmental organization to help 25 victims of sexual abuse (WHO, 2022). Its collaboration with Heal Africa, a non-governmental organization providing medical services, ensures that the victims do not harm physical and mental health. More importantly, governments with the Office of the Victims’ Rights Advocate help financially children born due to sexual abuse. Although this UN policy neglected vulnerable African groups, I believe that WHO’s Management Response Plan should be effective in the long term. As it collaborates with many stakeholders, trying to assist victims and address future risks. Therefore, WHO’s plan is expected to promote decision-making among women to guarantee their autonomy and equality.

To conclude, sexual harassment, abuse, and assault deprive its victims of freedom and fundamental human rights. Being the primarily affected party, females report a high frequency of experiencing such violations during their lifetimes, urging the UN to implement policies concerning Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Abuse of Authority. This policy neglected women in the Republic of Congo, perpetuating their gender inequality during the Ebola outbreaks. Nevertheless, the UN immediately adopted a Management Response Plan to address its consequences and relieve the victims’ pain.