Diversity Candidates, What Next? Working in an International Organization

Thank you for inviting me to this exciting online event. It is fascinating that we can meet this way, in front of a screen, all over the world. Let’s vow to use the information and opportunities we have and what we gain from this career forum to help make the world a better place. By ‘diverse candidates’ I use a broad interpretation and mean everybody (the true meaning of ‘diverse’, perhaps), but here I will focus on groups that are under-‐represented in professional and higher levels in international organizations. I will highlight some challenges candidates face when applying to international organizations, and give some advice to recruiters as well. A backdrop is that most of these organizations were created 60-‐70 years ago, when nearly all international civil servants were privileged males with a homemaker spouse. Until 1973 a woman in for instance the UK Foreign Office had to resign the day she got married, no matter how talented. Pressure remains to this date in many parts of the world for women to stop working outside the home once she becomes a wife. When most international organizations were created being gay or having a disability was even more of a taboo than it is today. Work-‐life balance was perhaps not a major issue for someone who had a partner working full time as a caregiver at home, or at least it was different from what

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international civil servants are facing today. The over-‐representation of privileged males has continued, and they are aging. Most organizations see changes at senior levels today, due to the many men who are reaching retirement age. For the most part other men are replacing them, despite ample numbers of qualified and keen women candidates. Some international civil servants on payroll today have not started using e-‐mail, but they are going as extinct as pen and paper ( and maybe e-‐mail is becoming obsolete, too). Social media is not readily embraced by a majority of managers. In this outdated setting no wonder it is tough for international organizations to turn around and embrace the fast changes in the fields of diversity, inclusion, women’s advancement and cultural perceptions. Migration, travel and global communications are quickly spreading new trends, with young people as main participants and promoters. Some of the topics I will talk about could make the skin crawl of an international civil servant of the old school. Having worked on this topic in various organizations, I know how strong the resistance is at the top against the inclusion of women, gays, people of different racial/ethnic groups than those in charge, and people with disabilities or HIV/AIDS. Obstacles are particularly rigid against advancement to management levels. Those of you who grew up with YouTube and social media may not see a problem with being transgender or why peoples’ sexual identity, race, gender or disability should affect anyone’s career. If international organizations are to attract and keep the best and brightest university graduates they need to come up to speed and understand the experiences and expectations of young talents and how to reach them, recruit them, help them develop and keep them. Employers are aware of the intense competition for international talents. Do international organizations strategize their recruitment, advancement and retention activities in a way that ensures the inclusion of the best talents, regardless of social characteristics? As we will hear, much work lies ahead for this goal to be reached. Hopefully this talk will help candidates navigate the choppy seas of international organizations. I hope you will join one and make an impact. My written presentation and PowerPoint are available on my Slideshare account, and the recording will be put on Audioboo. The text is longer than what we have time for in the next 45 minutes, but feel free to look up the materials when you have a chance. Each slide is clickable and leads you to an article about the issue. I apologize for the Scandinavian twang to my English, and hope to keep the pace slow enough to be clear.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER It is human nature to choose people who resemble oneself as co-‐workers. Unconscious bias against anything that seems unfamiliar kicks in during recruitment and promotion processes. I’d like to give some pointers to how you as a candidate can stand out positively in your job search, and make a difference in the new job once you have been selected. I will focus on what is the current situation for diversity, inclusion and gender equality, and mirror this with how it should be. For each topic I will suggest what you can do to enhance your candidacy and understanding of the role of international organizations. You are no doubt a diverse group, and among you there are women and men of different ages. Some of you are living with a disability, others with HIV/AIDS, and some are transgender, gay or bisexual. You come from many ethnic and racial backgrounds, and you represesnt a range of nationalities from all continents. You have attended different universities, have an array of professional experience or none yet, and you speak a number of languages. In addition, your experiences,

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beliefs and opinions make you the unique person you are. When an international organization recruits you, it hires every aspect of you, not just your degree or internship or professional experience. It is becoming increasingly clear to employers that people bring their whole self with them to work. By inviting and valuing the abundance of differences people have, employers gain more effective, satisfied and loyal employees. D&I is often seen as controversial, because it challenges our assumptions and asks us to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Yet D&I workshops and advances in inclusion lead to more satisfied employees and a more competitive organization. Some employers have more success than others in bringing D&I to the forefront. An article about J.P. Morgan Chase’s approach spells out how commitment at top levels is key.

DISABILITY ISSUES TO THE FORE Zachary Kimotho from Kenya will travel 4,000 K to South Africa in 2012 to raise funds for the first spinal injury center in Kenya. At the same time he raises awareness about the strength, resilience and talents of persons with disabilities. International organizations have a long way to go before people of all social backgrounds are proportionally represented. When, for instance, will these employers publicly announce that homosexuals and lesbians are very welcome?

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There has been no such invitation by international organizations as far as I know. When will they set recruitment targets for people with disabilities in line with the up to 15% of the world’s population that is made up by people with disabilities? These are just two examples of diversity aspects that in practice may lead to exclusion of the perfect candidate for a recruitment or advancement to top executive. The ideal situation would be for international organizations to set recruitment and advancement targets for e.g. persons with disabilities, and stick to them. Reporting and accountability measures are a must to reach business/operational goals, and the same standards should apply to diversity & inclusion (D&I). Until recruiters and hiring managers in international organizations are fully trained on disability issues (which tends to make them very supportive and interested in hiring persons with disabilities), you face prejudice against disability, or lack of knowledge, which may cause discrimination in the selection process. One of the many problems is that international organizations still have the audacity to ask candidates on the application form if they have a disability. For this disclosure requirement to make sense, it would help to have and inform about a policy similar to the UK Department for International Development (DFID) policy where each qualified candidate with a disability is interviewed. An economist I know in a development bank (who uses a wheelchair) told me he did not see why the question about having a disability was relevant to his candidacy and performance, so he replied ‘no’. He was hired, and travels more with work than most of his colleagues. What can you do as a person with a disability applying to international jobs? 1. Find out which organizations have made efforts to raise awareness on disability issues, matched with a policy and assistive technology. Even though many persons with disabilities need few and only low-‐cost adaptations to office equipment, an organization’s focus on the full range of inclusion of persons with disabilities speaks volumes. UNDP has made a great online course about human resources aspects of disability issues, and the World Bank has had various programs in place for over a decade, including fun celebrations of 3 December, the International Day of People with Disabilities. This information can be found online. 2. Network among other candidates and recruiters to get inside information on the specific culture of the organization. Information is power. Ask to speak to diversity officers at the organization, to learn about internal policies and efforts to attract persons with disabilities. What can you do as a recruiter to attract more candidates with disabilities and make sure they have a fair selection process?

1. Educate yourself. Read the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and media articles about inclusion of persons with disabilities. Invite students with disabilities to a briefing on work opportunities in your organization. You will have a steep and fascinating learning process that you can apply directly to your HR work. 2. In meetings with management, bring up disability issues and the need to attract candidates with disabilities to your organization, and how their hands-‐on knowledge about disability can enhance your organization’s work with that population. 3. When preparing the annual budget, include activities addressing disability issues in the workplace. Network with HR staff in other organizations on the topic. A Google search on disability issues provides inspiring reading on people with disabilities and their achievements. Check out Zachary Kimotho from Kenya who is travelling 4,000 kilometers to South Africa in a wheelchair to promote disability rights and raise funds for the first spinal injury center in Kenya. If he can do this cannot people with disabilities qualify for a job as an international civil servant, just like anyone else with a suitable education?

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GLOBAL IMBALANCES Speaking engagements are immensely popular and it is not uncommon in international organizations to see all-‐male, all white panels at major conferences. This is an effective way to exclude women and other under-‐represented groups from a career track that requires visibility and high-‐level networking. People who speak up against such practices in their own organization risk retaliation. Just like people with disabilities, and no matter what social or health characteristics you have, you probably expect your professional competencies and suitability for the job to be the deciding factor when a position is to be filled. However, this is not necessarily the case. Arbitrary elements come into play in recruitment. Unconscious bias means that the hiring manager may select a candidate who is more familiar to himself (Males make up some 70-‐80% of senior managers in the UN and other organizations have comparable and sometimes higher proportions of men at the top), and network-‐based hiring and promotions are well known in the international arena. A 2008 staff survey in an international organization asked what it would take to advance professionally. A majority of the respondents said: “It’s who you know”; the second most selected response was: “Visible assignments”; the third was: “Get along well with your supervisor”; and in 4th place: Good performance”. This was an internal survey, and may not apply to external hiring, but clearly such an environment will miss out on talents who are not well connected. This may seem like tough obstacles to new recruits and to human resources personnel who work tirelessly to ensure fair selection processes. Despite this sobering info it’s important to stay positive and focus on the many options available. Are we aware of how lucky we are right now, being online and planning a next career move? Our access to a computer puts us among the privileged. This global career event by Terra Firma Associates is innovative and free for candidates and we are fortunate to be able to connect in this way.

TRADITION OR DISCRIMINATION? “We have put girls and women at the heart of everything we do.” Page 8, UK Department of International Development (DFID) Annual Report 2011 DFID’s ministers: (l-‐r) Stephen O’Brien, Parliamentary Under-‐Secretary of State; Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State; Alan Duncan, Minister of State. It is not necessarily so that these men are the best equipped to make decisions affecting girls and women. Imagine the opposite, where three women heads of a major development agency would state that they have put boys and men at the heart of everything they do. How would they know what is best for boys and men without including males in decision-‐making at the highest level? Including people in management who hail from the countries where international development cooperation takes place would also greatly benefit operations, and we could go on and acknowledge the importance of the insight of a person with disabilities or who is gay or living with HIV/AIDS in shaping policy. But let me get back to the privilege of working in international organizations and how technology may help remove inequalities by bringing us closer and making more information available. Today there are just over one billion computers in the world, with the highest number being in the US with 223 million computers. South

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Korea has 26 million computers and Brazil 19 million. Russia is not among the top ten, but Japan and four European countries are. Many people use two computers, and this probably means that over six of the seven billion people in the world do not have a computer. If we consider it important to have access to a computer, we could make it a goal to help people gain the education, health and income that would allow them to use one. Since this forum is about qualifying for a job in an international organization and identifying talent for them, it is important to remember why these organizations were created. Peace, justice, wealth distribution and social inclusion are key components of their charters. This is perhaps why you are looking to work for an international organization. You are an idealist. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, strikes a chord with you. You want to put your skills and determination to work for values such as this, from the preamble: “… the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, … Numerous other international declarations and conventions aim to improve the lot of those less fortunate. You may expect that principles of equality and justice prevail internally in these organizations, since they clearly are the basis for their existence and operations. But this is not the case. If international organizations lived by the equality principles that created them, the situation would have been something like this in terms of gender equality:

1. Half of employees at all levels would be female. 2. No gender sensitivity training or action plans would be necessary, because

the rights, talents and needs of males and females would be fairly addressed in all operations.

In my view it is nonsense that men can represent women’s interests just as well as a woman, and vice versa. Those men who champion gender equality are extremely valuable, and they do it based on understanding and dedication. They need to be somewhat rebellious to dare to counter the old-‐fashioned culture and practices of international organizations. Unfortunately these men are few and far between. One such high-‐level champion said he had trouble convincing his male peers to embrace gender equality efforts.

3. There would be no sexual harassment in the workplace -‐ or perhaps the number of harassers and victims would be equally distributed among women and men? Today most harassers are men, and most victims are women, according to Catalyst.org. A UN report (page 10) on women, peace and

security notes that a better representation of women in military and police teams in peacekeeping has a positive impact on the work environment, including a reduction of chauvinistic behaviors such as sexual harassment.

4. The biological functions of being pregnant, giving birth and breastfeeding would be seen as a natural part of being human and an international civil servant and boss.

5. Fathers would have the same length paid parental leave as mothers, and would be expected to be equally devoted to their children and family and personal life as women.

6. Traditional views on women’s role as caregivers would be history and retention of women would be no problem.

7. Replacement staff for parental leave would be paid from the general budget. 8. Mission travel would be more flexible, allowing new parents to skip missions

during the child’s first year, and reduce the length until the child became older. Similar policies would apply to care for sick family members.

9. Telework, compressed and flexible work hours would be standard. There would be a focus on delivery of results and less emphasis on face-‐time in the office (which is great if networking is what gets you ahead rather than concrete results). Face-‐time would be the term young people use, namely seeing and communicating with someone on a computer screen.

10. Each organization would provide and childcare facilities and subsidize the cost. Both men and women would be congratulated when announcing that a baby was on the way, instead of (often the woman) being met with negative remarks.

See how gender roles affect the work-‐life in Japan in this 2011 study by the Center for Work-‐Life Policy.

11. Women would not feel compelled to temporarily opt out of the workforce after having children, due to too much stress, demands for long hours in the office and mission travel. Or they leave permanently due to a hostile environment against women, which has been reported on in several organizations, especially at senior levels. A UNICEF report from 2006 by an external consultant found the management environment to be hostile to women, but the full report has not been made public, to my knowledge.

12. Men would feel comfortable announcing at 5 pm that they need to pick up children in daycare – or take care of an ailing partner or parent.

13. Men would be rid of the traditional breadwinner burden – as women and men would be expected to contribute equally to the household.

14. There would be no reason why women should do more housework or take more care of the children than men.

If international organizations were ruled by the UN International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, women and men would have equal pay for equal work:

”Fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind, in particular women being guaranteed conditions of work not inferior to those enjoyed by men, with equal pay for equal work; These are controversial issues. Few, if any international organizations have analyzed and publicized the pay levels of men vs. women. Proposals to use for instance a Swiss organization Equal Salary are being made, but leaders of international organizations hesitate to participate in such studies.

AUDRE LORDE, 1934 – 1992 Audre Lorde was a Caribbean-‐American writer, poet and activist who lived from 1934 to 1992. One of her best-‐known quotes is “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”. Her statement pinpoints why elites at the top of international organizations are reluctant to give up or share power, influence and the financial benefits they enjoy. Every D&I program and budget needs approval by the top brass. They are the reason why D&I activities are able to start, and whether they fail or succeed. Sometimes a lack of understanding of gender issues by top leaders prevents them from launching initiatives that will increase women’s advancement. This is perhaps

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why the proportion of women in professional and higher categories at the UN have remained just below 40% for the past decade. In 2010 women made up 26% at the D-‐2 level (most senior Director level) in the UN system. A common misunderstanding is that men are over-‐represented at senior levels because they are better qualified. There is no evidence available to back this up. When international organizations were created in the 1940s and onwards, and due to traditional gender roles, men had better access to higher education and to professional international positions. One could say they have benefited from quotas. Actually women score just as well as men in performance evaluations, and in one international organization women outperformed men at each level. This information has not been shared publicly, despite the need for transparency on D&I issues. Women have been in majority at US colleges since the 1980s, and in 2010, it was reported that more women than men in the US earned PhDs. It is not just a right for all candidates to be fairly treated; it is also good for business to ensure a diverse workforce and leadership. A Leeds University study found that one woman on the company board cuts the risk of bankruptcy by 20%. Women, having different experiences than men, also display different values and attitudes. A 2011 study by Pew Research Center in the US found that female war veterans are more critical than their male counterparts of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—fully 63% say the Iraq war was not worth fighting and 54% say Afghanistan has not been worth it (compared with 47% and 39% of male veterans, respectively). Among the general public, by contrast, there were no significant differences by gender in the share who said the post-‐9/11 wars were not worth fighting. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution (1325) in 2000 that calls for a gender balance among peacekeepers and peace negotiators, but the UN itself and Member States have made only patchy efforts toward this goal. An online study I did in 2008 found that female UN Special Representatives of the Secretary-‐General and their Deputies were ten times more likely than men to publicly address women’s role in peace-‐building and Resolution 1325. However, women are rare in these positions, making up just seven of the 76 SRSGs/DSRSGs in June 2012, according to the UN website.

ORIGIN – HR DIVERSITY NETWORK See how 14 international entities work on diversity & inclusion by clicking on ORIGIN’s 15th anniversary publication A very valuable effort for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in human resources started in international organizations in 1995. The Organizational and Institutional Gender Information Network (ORIGIN) brings over 40 organizations together to advance diversity & inclusion. As is often the case with D&I in international organizations the activity is underfunded, so the contact is limited to e-‐mail exchanges and an annual meeting where around 10 organizations participate while other join via web link. Most members report that their organization does not set aside a budget for the ORIGIN activity, and this is why the focal points are seldom able to join the annual meeting. There is no specific funding to manage the administrative functions, so it is done on a volunteer, rotation basis by member organizations. ORIGIN is a group of very knowledgeable leaders on D&I, and the exchange of best practices and mutual support is invaluable. See the 15th anniversary publication prepared by the World Bank, and read about D&I activities of 14 international organizations.

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“NEVER LEARN TO TYPE” Dame Margaret Joan Anstee was the first female UN Under-‐Secretary-‐General (USG). In 2010 women made up 29.1 % of USGs. In her biography “Never Learn to Type – A Woman at the United Nations”, she says she knew women in the 1950s qualified for top UN jobs (page 384). Her book is an educating and entertaining read on international affairs and gender issues. What can you do as a woman seeking an international career? Or are you a man who wants men and women to enjoy equal opportunity and gender-‐sensitive caregiver policies and other employee benefits in international organizations?

1. Research which organizations and departments have good gender balance statistics. Progress does not come automatically, so an agency or unit with a critical mass (around 30%) or higher numbers of women senior managers is doing something right. There are hardly any organizations in this category, unfortunately, but some are approaching these numbers and for instance the UN Department of Public Information reached a gender balance at all levels some years ago. (I am proud to have worked there in my first UN job following recruitment via the National Competitive Exam.) In a factsheet on the site of the UN Focal Point for Women, UN agencies and programs share info about the proportion of women in senior positions and overall.

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2. Be aware of obstacles to women’s careers and the prevention of men’s role as caregivers on an equal footing with women. Read, discuss and bring up gender issues in discussions with friends and colleagues. Engage actively in forums where these topics are being discussed, both in live conferences and via social media. Bring these issues to the fore in career fairs, and ask about them on the Facebook sites of employers. Make employers aware that these issues matter to you.

3. Talks online provide insight, for instance this humorous presentation on work-‐life balance by the author of “Step Aside Superwoman”, Christine Brown Quinn. Remember that no matter how wildly brilliant your career will be, your private life will always be extremely important. How you juggle your life outside work and your professional tasks will depend on how balanced and happy you are. A person experiencing a divorce, another personal crisis or who is being ostracized at work will not be able to perform optimally. Employers have a responsibility to adopt fair and flexible work-‐life policies that accommodate you at every stage of your life.

4. Read testimonies by trailblazers such as Dame Margaret Anstee and others. Much wisdom can be gleaned from the work of Sonke Gender Justice, a men’s group in South Africa working on human rights, gender equality and prevention of gender violence and HIV/AIDS. A number of international private corporations have long-‐standing women’s advancement and diversity programs that include useful research. Check for instance Deloitte’s press release on its 2011 report “The Gender Dividend”. See also Price Waterhouse Cooper’s info on external partnerships and Sodexo’s gender equality work.

5. Join networks that promote gender equality to learn from others and share your own experiences. You can benefit greatly from initiatives such as Women’s International Networking, the Global Summit of Women, the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society and the Cairo International Women’s Conference. Usually participants from developing countries may apply for funding for travel and board, via a competitive process. Men are very welcome at all events.

REACHING TOP LEVELS

• International organizations are increasingly using executive search companies

• This is not necessarily an advantage, since private companies do not have the same formal responsibility as the public sector to achieve equality and diversity.

• Executive search companies are used to operating in a male/ethnically homogenous sphere and D&I training is scarce

• It is hard for women to be selected for top posts when both the search company and the hiring managers are male oriented

LACK OF D&I KNOWLEDGE AMONG CONSULTANCY COMPANIES USED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Several private sector consultancy companies are light years ahead of international organizations when it comes to diversity & inclusion activities. But based on my limited information these appear not to be ones that international organizations use for executive searches, pay and benefit reviews and other evaluations. I have been stunned to see that D&I is lacking from most initial proposals, questionnaires and final evaluations, and even from the websites of popular consultancy companies.

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What can I expect from an international organization’s recruitment process, and how can I make the most of it?

1. Expect rigor (not speed). Your application form, cover letter, references and CV will be scrutinized. Only those with a good match between the job description and qualifications will be contacted for testing and interviews. Calling HR departments for explanations before applying and after is quite OK. Even if it will not make any difference for your chances of continuing in the selection process, it could give you valuable information about the job and the organization.

2. Interviews are usually competency based, which means they are like an oral exam, but probably even tougher. Up to five-‐six people may join a panel interview by phone or Skype, and they ask prepared questions about the position’s responsibilities and how you can contribute. Don’t worry if you are nervous, it is understandable. But you are expected to overcome nervousness J. Be cordial. And interviewers should be friendly as well. It appears candidates answer better when they feel comfortable.

3. Remember that due to the fierce competition, it is not easy to land any international job. Do not give up and stop applying after a few failed efforts. Search websites actively. New opportunities pop up constantly, and even new organizations are being created that may go under your radar.

4. Be helpful to others. Having a good network of people who keep an eye out for vacancies is very valuable. Share vacancy notices with people you know are looking, and they will return the favor.

5. It is not just you as a candidate who needs to be competitive. Employers also need to offer the best opportunities and possibilities to grow in order to attract the most outstanding candidates. Information about employers, their policies and track record on diversity is becoming increasingly available via the net and social media. To many candidates this is very important. Organizations report that ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’ and ‘gender’ are among the most popular search words on their websites. Readership hit record levels when The Atlantic in June 2012 published an article by Anne-‐Marie Slaughter on gender equality, work-‐life balance and women’s advancement.

6. Help spread the word about international organizations that show good leadership in diversity and inclusion. One convincing way to demonstrate their commitment to diversity is to show that women, persons with disabilities, LGBT members and ethnic minorities are well represented in top management. Ask employers about their diversity & inclusion work.

POLICY FOR CHANGE

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (Great Britain) has recommended that the selection process for executive boards should be made more "transparent, professional and rigorous" to allow chairmen and search agencies to appoint more women to boardroom roles and to encourage more women to apply for these positions.

A May 2012 article refers to a report that found that the voluntary code of conduct for executive search firms on gender diversity, brought in following a recommendation in the Davies review of 2011, has had some success in getting women onto the long-‐lists for board-‐level jobs. However, when it came to drawing up short-‐lists, women were put at a disadvantage as they were judged on their ability to "fit in" with the values, norms and behaviors of existing board members, who were mostly men.

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THEORY AND PRACTICE Samina Nas, First Secretary at the Bangladeshi UN Mission in New York presenting a report on the Decade for Peace (2001-‐2010) It is crucial that more women join decision-‐making locally, nationally and globally in order to have an impact on issues that affect them. By hiring and advancing the same number of women as men, international organizations will not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. The bar is raised for everybody when women and men must compete with each other to achieve the most senior appointments, and not just men competing with mostly men. Our present reality is one where women disproportionately bear the brunt of poverty. 70% of the world's poorest people are women. Women perform 66% of the world's work and produce 50% of the world's food. Yet, they earn 10% of the world's income and own 1% of the world's property. "If the average distance to the moon is 394,400 km, South African women together walk the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back 16 times a day to supply their households with water." With a gender balance in decision-‐making, such injustices would be tackled more effectively than they are now. See UN Women factsheet on global progress of the world’s women.

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GAY IN THE WORKPLACE What if you are gay, bisexual or transgender and want to work in an international organization? The UN and other international agencies are full of high-‐performing individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Whether they ‘come out’ or not depends on a number of personal and circumstantial factors. Some, if not all, international environments are hostile to LGBT members, probably due to lack of knowledge about LGBT issues. As this Wikipedia overview shows, gay sexual activity is illegal in scores of countries, and same-‐sex marriage is possible in only 10. Amnesty International counts at least 83 countries where homosexuality is explicitly condemned in the criminal code, and the United Nations refers to over 76 such countries in a March 2012 panel discussion. Seven countries carry the death penalty for persons presumed guilty of homosexual acts. A June 2012 article outlines homosexuality in Muslim countries. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, gave a YouTube talk in 2011 on LGBT rights. Ms. Pillay’s office 2011 report, on page 41, states that the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution focused on violence and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity (A/HRC/RES/17/19).

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Bringing these topics to the workplace is quite new in most international organizations, and the environment is rife with prejudice and even discrimination. There are bright spots, such as the growing number of international organizations giving benefits to domestic partners, and there are several interest groups for LGBT people and friends. It also helps the cause that some donor countries and for instance the IMF are rewarding developing countries that decriminalize homosexuality, as Malawi is about to do. See a Pinknews article. The World Bank (and some other organizations based in Washington, D.C.) has an active LGBT group, The World Bank Globe, which promotes LGBT rights and raises awareness via panel discussions and surveys. See a 7-‐min YouTube video about The World Bank Globe entitled “It gets better”. In 2011 I wrote a blog post about the need to approve same-‐sex marriage.

JOB INTERVIEWS WITH LGBT MEMBERS Mira Patel of the US State Dept spoke about LGBT issues in the workplace, at the Inter-‐American Development Bank in July 2010. Victor Madrigal-‐Borloz from the

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Organization of American States outlined LGBT issues from a human rights perspective. As a recruiter, how do you make sure you are welcoming, unbiased and inclusive vis-‐à-‐vis LGBT candidates?

1. There is no obligation to disclose one’s sexual orientation when applying for an international job, so it should not be an issue at all. However bias and joking around gay issues are so common that one risks making (innocent) blunders while interviewing candidates. Do not ask candidates about their wife, husband, partner etc., because this is not appropriate no matter the sexual orientation of the candidate, and for LGBT people it could be compromising.

2. Study materials online about LGBT and human resources issues. There is an abundance of information available, such as this overview from the UK.

RACISM IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Participants in a roundtable on indigenous peoples during a diversity conference at the Inter-‐American Development Bank in Nov 2009

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As a member of an ethnic minority, how do you make sure you get fair and equal treatment as a candidate?

1. Racism persists in the world, and in international organizations. They have much work left to do before ethnic and racial groups are represented in proportion to their numbers in national populations. Their under-‐representation in higher education is sometimes referred to as an obstacle, but it should be no problem to attract sufficient numbers of qualified candidates via action plans and dedicated outreach. Recruitment to international organizations is not massive, and the numbers of for example PhD holders from under-‐represented ethnic groups would be sufficient on a global basis to drastically increase their representation in the UN and other entities. When international organizations were set up, the diversity focus was mainly on “geographical” representation, meaning that member states should have a fair representation among the staff. Gender was mentioned, but progress has been glacial. International organizations are not at the forefront when it comes to pushing indigenous peoples’ rights and the rights of other racial and ethnic groups within their own organizations. One likely reason is that international organizations are governed by governments, and they do not have a very good track record in this area, either.

2. There is a lack of disaggregated statistics of indigenous peoples and other groups and their representation in schools, higher education and the work force. Setting targets for increased recruitment is difficult without solid numbers. As the first and so far only international organization, the Inter-‐American Development Bank (IDB) launched diversity self-‐identification on race and ethnicity in 2010. This is noted in a presentation I gave in June 2011 at a Caribbean youth leadership forum.

3. Seek out information about interviewing styles for international organizations and specifically for the one(s) you are applying to. Interviewers, who are from human resources and supervisor levels, are often influenced by behavior styles at elite Western universities. With the diversification of candidates more applicants come from universities in developing countries, and for instance from Japan. These candidates’ expectations of an interview may be different from the way an organization interviews candidates. Some candidates have been surprised that they are expected to be direct and self confident during interviews.

RACISM IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Progress nationally and via international forums such as these will boost the numbers and career prospects of indigenous peoples, afro-‐descendants and other ethnic/racial minorities in international organizations. It is also necessary for employers to commit to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, and take concrete, measurable steps.

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SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• Sexual harassment is still a major problem in international organizations • Especially young women and consultants on short contracts are vulnerable

In a Catalyst.org article sexual harassment is defined as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature such that submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment." It is quite clear that harassment hampers diversity & inclusion and a productive work environment. Victims, who are more often women than men, often refrain from reporting sexual harassment because they worry about retaliation. International organizations are not handling this issue in a very mature way, even though there are reporting mechanisms. Many victims suffer, while perpetrators go free and even advance in their careers. Ethics training of supervisors is important, since they are responsible for the work environment. If you are a supervisor and you have not been trained on this, request that your office organize training. If you experience harassment, speak to your supervisor, and if it does not help, contact the ombudsperson or the ethics officer.

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Finally, a piece of advice: Beware of fraudulent vacancy announcements. Criminals are targeting you as a candidate and use very convincing ways to make you believe there is a vacancy and that you have been selected. International organizations do not charge money from candidates, and they do not find an apartment for you that you have to wire deposit money for. If you suspect foul play, don’t hesitate to call the organization’s telephone number on their website to verify the posting. You are also quite safe applying to positions directly from the organization’s website. THE WORLD IS YOURS – GOOD LUCK!

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Business

Diversity Candidates, What Next? Working in an International Organization