Can Winnie Byanyima save Oxfam?

As Oxfam continues to deal with the backlash of its recent sexual abuse scandal, it has thrust Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, to the forefront of media coverage.

Oxfam has rightly faced harsh criticism in the past weeks as news of aid workers allegedly hiring local women as prostitutes during relief efforts in majority Black nations Haiti and Chad resurfaced. Oxfam, and other Western aid organisations, are being placed in the spotlight as many question the culture of the aid sector. The most recent investigation into the 2011 Haiti scandal is only one of many examples.

Many aid organizations, though almost exclusively working in poor and/or majority Black nations, are largely staffed by white European men and women. This of course creates a power dynamic that, as evidenced by recent allegations, is being taken advantage of. The shameful acts of some men working within these organizations have caused us to ponder the role of these aid organizations in perpetuating neo-colonialism, via sexual and economic exploitation.

There may be hope, however. Winnie Byanyima, a Ugandan-born aeronautical engineer and women’s rights expert, has served as the Executive Director of Oxfam International since 2013.

In an interview with BBC, Byanyima says “What happened in Haiti and afterwards is a stain on Oxfam that will shame us for years, and rightly so."In my language 'Okuruga ahamutima gwangye, mutusaasire'. It means 'From the bottom of my heart I am asking for forgiveness'."

Byanyima introduced several changes Oxfam will be implementing to deal with the issue, including tripling their budget for safeguarding measures and creating a system to ensure no one who is accused of sexual misconduct receives a positive reference to work at different aid organizations.

Byanyima is the most senior Oxfam executive to speak publicly about the scandal. Could it be that Oxfam is actually seeking to elevate the voice of a Black woman within a field largely dominated by white men?

Byanyima has served in Ugandan parliament, leading their first parliamentary women’s caucus. She has also served as Director of Gender and Development at the UN Development Program. She has an impressive track record as a women’s rights activist and active voice in efforts to involve women in peace processes in Uganda, South Africa, Burundi, and other African nations.

If Oxfam seeks to truly challenge a systemic culture of exploitation and neo-colonialism, it will be necessary that women like Byanyima are given opportunities to lead the organization not only in news interviews, but in its everyday operations as well. The voices of victims of this exploitation must be elevated, and their identities and interests must be heard among those deciding how to responsibly administer aid.

Byaniyma is seeking to do just that, saying in a tweet, “My message to women who have suffered: I’m fighting this abuse. I'm with you. We are going to do justice.”

Only time will tell if this moment will drive the cultural change within a huge body such as Oxfam. Furtherore,we must not lose site  has Byaniyma has repeatedly pointed out there are many thousands of dedicated Oxfam workers doing an outstanding job in often very difficult circumstances. We can only wish her luck to deliver the change and ensure Oxfam lives up to its lofty ideals.

Dominique Brodie