#NoExcuse

About #NoExcuse

The #NoExcuse Podcast is produced by the World Health Organization's Department for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct. There is no excuse for sexual misconduct in the humanitarian or development sectors. Many people don't want to think about the often-ignored topic of sexual misconduct by our personnel. Shining a light on this dark and painful topic is an important step to addressing it. Poet, novelist, and survivor Dr. Maya Angelou wrote, "What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." As she suggests, changing how we view the issue is half the battle. It is within this need to change our views in a space of learning that the #NoExcuse podcast was born. Join us as we delve deep into the topic, share stories of work in the field, surface issues to prevention, and explore making zero tolerance for sexual misconduct a part of workplace culture - WHO's new normal. This podcast will examine different challenges and solutions through the perspectives of people who are already doing the work to create the change we need and want. This podcast series contains discussions on sexual misconduct. Topics such as sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment may be discussed. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other affiliated organization. The discussions and opinions are meant for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listener discretion is advised, and we encourage seeking professional support for any personal issues discussed in this episode.

Publisher

WHO - World Health Organization

Category

health & fitness · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Nov 2023

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   From Accountability to Healing: Building Trust Together

   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.

2. 

   19 May 2026

   Sustaining Zero Tolerance in Times of Change

   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.

3. 

   2 Dec 2025

   Academia vs Practice: A Decolonial Approach to Sexual Misconduct in Aid

   In this episode, sociologists and practitioners Dr. Nof Nasser-Eddin and Dr. Nour Abu Assab unpack what it really means to take a decolonial approach in the aid sector and why this shift is essential for meaningful prevention of sexual misconduct. They challenge one of the sector's most entrenched assumptions: the belief that complete prevention is possible, calling it "the myth of prevention". Instead, they argue for approaches rooted in structural sensitivity, genuine community engagement, and transformative justice, drawing from lived experiences and frontline realities. Throughout the conversation, they bridge theory and practice, making complex concepts deeply accessible.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

115,917,175

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

67

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

68

Contact #NoExcuse

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.