#NoExcuse

Trust is the foundation of every healthy workplace, every effective health service, and every meaningful relationship between institutions and the people they serve. It allows individuals to seek support, share concerns, work collaboratively, and believe that they will be treated with dignity and respect. Yet trust is not automatic. It is built through consistent actions, meaningful accountability, and a willingness to confront harm when it occurs.

In this episode of #NoExcuse, host Guni Dias is joined by Professor Rosalind Searle, an organisational psychologist at the University of Glasgow whose research focuses on trust, ethics, and institutional integrity, and Professor Louise Stone, a clinician, researcher, and advocate whose work examines sexual misconduct and the systems that enable or prevent it.

Together, they explore how trust develops within professional and institutional settings, why abuses of power can remain hidden for so long, and what makes sexual misconduct particularly difficult to recognise, disclose, and address. Drawing on research, professional experience, and lived realities, they discuss how organizational cultures, hierarchies, and social norms can influence both the likelihood of harm and the willingness of individuals to come forward.

The conversation also examines the vital connection between accountability and healing. While accountability is often viewed as a process of investigation and response, the speakers argue that it is also essential to restoring confidence, supporting those affected by harm, and creating environments where people feel safe, respected, and heard. They reflect on the role that leaders, colleagues, institutions, and communities all play in preventing misconduct and fostering cultures of trust.

Ultimately, this episode is a conversation about our shared responsibility to create environments where trust can be given safely, where concerns can be raised without fear, and where justice, dignity, and healing are possible after harm occurs.

Please note: this episode contains discussion of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power. Listener discretion is advised.

#NoExcuse is produced by the World Health Organization. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of WHO.

2021 marked one of the most challenging chapters in WHO's history—one that struck at the heart of its values and its obligation to do no harm. The response demanded more than correction; it required transformation. What followed was a sustained and intentional effort to fundamentally change how the Organization understands, prevents and responds to sexual misconduct. With the conclusion of the three-year strategy, WHO now moves into a consolidation phase, supported by a restructured department and new leadership for this area of work. The question is no longer how to respond to a crisis. It is how to protect, sustain and deepen what was built, and what that requires of everyone, at a moment when the world has grown in complexity and instability. In this episode, two leaders sit down together: Dr. Gaya Gamhewage, who founded WHO's approach to the prevention and response to sexual misconduct and led the teams that built its foundations, now serving as Acting Director of Communications; and Dr. Alia El-Yassir, who now directs the Department for Gender, Rights, Equity and Sexual Misconduct Prevention, and is leading the work into its next phase. They speak honestly about what this period demands from WHO, from Member States, and from everyone who has a stake in this not going quiet.

Emily May is a founder, activist, and author dedicated to ending all forms of harassment. In this episode, she discusses the impacts of harassment on an individual.

Emily talks about the significance of bystander intervention in creating safer environments, particularly in the workplace. She also emphasises the necessity of laws to enforce humane treatment, but also the importance of culture in shifting behaviour.

We hear about the need for a holistic approach to tackling all types of harassment and promoting a culture of care and respect.

In this episode of the #NoExcuse podcast, Guni Dias speaks with Elizabeth Wright from Interpol about her work within Project Soteria. The discussion explores the lack of empathy among offenders, the patterns and methods of sexual exploitation, and the challenges faced by investigators. Wright elaborates on Project Soteria, aimed at preventing sexual misconduct in the aid sector through innovative tools and global cooperation. The conversation also covers the importance of thorough, victim-centric investigations and the role of organisations in taking allegations seriously as well as looking at some of the worrying trends Interpol are seeing across the world.

Professor Michael Flood is a renowned researcher, author, and advocate focusing on masculinity, violence prevention, and gender equality. In this episode, he talks about how the norms of masculinity and male entitlement are interlinked with sexual misconduct towards women. He talks about how sexual misconduct is mainly an issue for men, how the behaviour of some men make all men seem like a threat, and how men have a critical role in challenging unacceptable behaviour. Professor Flood also sheds light on the cultural and organizational factors that contribute to sexual misconduct, the distinct dynamics of online abuse and talks about the equal importance of empowering victims and holding perpetrators accountable.

01:26 Michael's Journey into Gender Studies 03:47 Understanding Masculinities and Sexual Misconduct 12:01 Cultural and Organizational Factors 21:42 Online Abuse and Its Challenges 23:25 Advice for Organizations