Sometimes It Is A Little Too Late2 min read

Sometime on Friday, Oxfam officially apologised. “We have a Global Taskforce on Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Exploitation & Abuse that is co-chaired by our Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima”.
Sometime over the weekend it was concluded that the top Oxfam chiefs were aware of said abuse, and that aid was traded for sex. And today both statements are leading headlines in two respected newspapers.
Sometimes it is a little too late to tell the public that you have a massive global taskforce on prevention of sexual harassment. And sometimes it is a little too late to give a half-hearted apology.
To me when Oxfam says “This is not the first story of sexual misconduct Oxfam has faced in recent months.”, it just gives me more questions. What does this mean? What does this mean for the people of Haiti who were offered aid for the price of sex? Is this the first time something this bad has happened? To what extent does sexual misconduct run in the Oxfam organization?
Sometimes admitting “This is not the first story of sexual misconduct Oxfam has faced in recent months” doesn’t answer the questions that the public and the people of Haiti deserve.
Sometimes it is a little too late to tell the public that this is not the first story of sexual misconduct Oxfam has faced in recent months. And sometimes it is a little too late to give a half-hearted apology.
Finally, “We hope we can rebuild our trust with our supporters who know, as we do, that the actions of a few do not represent all that Oxfam stands for.” Sometimes wording is wrong and sometimes it is a little too late to try earn our trust back. Especially when this isn’t the first time sexual misconduct has been linked to Oxfam in recent months, and how Oxfam has a global taskforce on prevention of sexual harassment.
Sometimes it is a little too late to ask the public for forgiveness when you have no intentions of answering our questions and telling the truth. And sometimes it is a little too late to give a half-hearted apology.
Why is it sometimes a little too late to give a half-hearted apology? Because to ask for forgiveness and apologise for actions, you have to mean it. You have to want it. And sometimes when you ask for trust, understanding, and belief. You sometimes have to admit that there was an error of ways, and an error of judgement and a gross violation of trust.