The head of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre says perpetrators of sexual harassment in the workplace need to be made accountable and not hide behind diplomatic immunity.
Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Co-ordinator, Shamima Ali. Photo: Supplied
The United Nations World Food Programme is formally investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by two senior male staff after complaints from three female workers at the Suva office.
The UN agency said the enquiry would be led by specialist investigators and conducted through the office of the agency's Inspector General in line with UN policy.
It said local authorities were being kept informed.
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The relevant staff had been temporarily removed from their duties while the investigation is underway and the agency says what it calls 'administrative measures' are in place to ensure the service continues to operate.
Shamima Ali from the Crisis Centre said the case was a Pandora's box but came in the context of a growing global trend of standing up to workplace harassment.
Ms Ali said she has been told the men had been suspended from their jobs and asked to leave the country but there has not yet been a complaint laid with the police.
"I think it should go through the court but the people have been sent away. The trend that we have seen is they just get moved on to another agency so they continue this kind of behaviour.
"I believe that they should be brought to task within the country where it happens. I think one of the problems is diplomatic immunity. So I think these are the things we need to be working through."
Shamima Ali said the exposure of such behaviour at a development agency charged with helping vulnerable people at stressful times makes it more shocking.
The World Food Programme said it had just this year strengthened its policies to stamp out abusive conduct, address the issue of under reporting and build a workplace culture to ensure all employees are treated with dignity and respect.
The agency is tasked with feeding people caught in conflict and disasters and works in more than 80 countries around the world.