Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH)

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) does not tolerate sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment. CHAI joins the international nonprofit community in strongly supporting the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, established in 2003 by the UN Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures. We believe that all people have the right to live their lives free from sexual violence.

CHAI’s Policy on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) applies to all CHAI staff, at all times, regarding their interactions with beneficiaries and the public.

The policy is available to download in multiple languages.

Child Protection

CHAI is committed to supporting child protection efforts and promoting awareness and understanding about children’s risks. CHAI has zero tolerance for child abuse and will protect children from exploitation and abuse of all kinds in the delivery of CHAI’s mission. CHAI holds as a universal value that all children, in all circumstances, have the right to feel and be safe, and to live free from harm, exploitation, and abuse. CHAI’s Global Code of Conduct & Ethics outlines responsibilities for staff members when working with children.

Prevention of Fraud and Corruption

CHAI is committed to detecting and preventing corruption and fraud throughout the organization. All CHAI staff are expected to be honest, transparent, and fair in their dealings with internal and external parties. Any suspected, detected, or reported cases of fraud or corruption will be thoroughly investigated. Corruption means directly or indirectly offering, making, promising, approving, or authorizing any payment or gift with the intent to influence an act, mission, or decision-making process. CHAI defines fraud as the use of deception to enrich or advantage oneself or a third party, or to avoid an obligation or cause loss to another party. Fraud encompasses deception, bribery, forgery, extortion, corruption, theft, conspiracy, embezzlement, misappropriation, false representation, conflict of interest, facilitation payments, receiving gifts/hospitality/kickbacks, concealment of material facts, and collusion.

Conflicts of Interest

CHAI staff are expected to fulfill their CHAI responsibilities with the utmost good faith, loyalty, and transparency. Consistent with this duty, staff must avoid any conflict or appearance of conflict between personal or outside interests and those of CHAI. Staff must act with transparency to disclose any potential conflict of interest where CHAI will then evaluate and take appropriate actions to mitigate its negative effects.

Conflicts of interest come in two types:

• Personal conflict of interest: where an individual’s actions and/or activities are intended to, or do in fact, result in improper influence, gain, or advantage to that individual or their immediate family members or other close relations, or a business entity in which they possess a significant economic interest.
• Organizational conflict of interest: where an individual’s actions and/or activities put the interests of an outside entity before CHAI’s interests, in a way that undermines CHAI’s interests or reputation.

To ensure that CHAI maintains objectivity and independence in decision-making processes and to protect against any perception that CHAI favors or is influenced by personal considerations, staff must be vigilant in identifying and disclosing conflicts to their managers.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Since our founding, CHAI has held equity as a cornerstone of our organization for both our staff and those whom our programs serve. In order to continue this principle and achieve our mission, we must seek transformational change in both our organization and our work.

Reflected in our value that “We foster diversity and inclusion,” CHAI is an inclusive workplace that promotes and integrates the principles of fairness, respect, equity, and dignity into the organization’s culture. CHAI takes a firm stance against discrimination and harassment and fosters an environment where people with a multiplicity of personal characteristics, including race, color, religion, sex or gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, HIV status, political or interest group affiliation, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental or pregnancy status, or any other characteristic, are embraced and valued.

CHAI supports diversity by:

• Appreciating the life experiences every staff member brings to the success of CHAI;
• Embracing the rich and varied cultures represented in the workforce;
• Acknowledging that diversity promotes creativity, innovation, and awareness; and
• Fostering a culture where all staff members are encouraged to reach their professional and personal goals.

Within our organization, we acknowledge it is critical to address drivers of inequality and non-inclusion. We will implement greater equity and sustainable improvements in our human resources policies, systems, and procedures; invest in our workforce; and increase diverse representation at every level. By developing and adopting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy, we will hold ourselves accountable for these and other actionable steps to reinforce and sustain our value.

CHAI also strives to address inequity in access to healthcare. In addition to our early programs which sought to achieve equitable access to treatment for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases, more recently, CHAI has developed programs to expand access to assistive technologies like wheelchairs, hearing aids, and glasses, for people living with disabilities. Moving forward, our programs will build on this work to tackle systematic causes of inequity within healthcare systems.

Our values in action:

• The Missing Billion Initiative, CHAI and partners announce global commitment to action on disability inclusion
• Integrating eye health into care for non-communicable diseases in Cambodia

Gender Equity

In addition to inclusive workplace principles related to gender equity, CHAI also applies a gender equity lens to the organization’s programmatic work. The impact of gender extends its influence across every facet of life, transcending geographic boundaries and giving rise to significant health disparities faced by vulnerable populations on a global scale. Gender inequality across various populations, including women, girls, men, boys, and people of other gender identities, impedes access to essential health information and critical services which perpetuates and exacerbates health disparities. Addressing this is pivotal to achieving universal improved health outcomes.

Gender refers to the roles, responsibilities, characteristics, and behaviors that a given society associates with the identities of women, girls, men, boys, non-binary, and gender-expansive individuals. Gender is socially and culturally constructed, meaning understandings of gender differ across contexts and over different periods of time. Gender influences what is expected of a person, the power each person has in society, and the norms to which individuals are expected to conform.

Navigating the intricate interplay between gender norms, cultural dynamics, and health interventions requires a concerted drive to identify and eliminate the barriers obstructing access to and uptake of essential health resources and services. CHAI’s engagement has included working to center women and girls in health financing decisions, integrating gender in our research and measurement such as disaggregation of data, developing skilled and diverse workforces, and amplifying the voices of female leaders as role models. Furthermore, CHAI is actively working towards ensuring the allocation of funds for gender integration activities within government budgeting and planning frameworks.

As we progress, our programs will build upon this existing work. We will invest resources to increase internal expertise and define CHAI’s strategic approach to the root causes of gender inequity in healthcare systems within our programs. Through these collective efforts, we are positioned to drive profound change, enhancing the impact of our programs.

Our values in action:

• Case study: Creating a network of gender justice champions in Nigeria
• Smart investments in public health sector increase access to long-acting, reversible contraception for women and girls in Uganda and Zambia

Climate Change

Predictable health challenges will arise as climate change continues to progress. Together with government partners, CHAI helps countries assess how their health systems must adapt to a changing climate to provide their people with the care they need. The organization works with policy makers to implement these adaptations to build fundamentally resilient systems that ensure vulnerabilities are proactively addressed. CHAI is also exploring ways environmental costs within the pharmaceutical market should be factored into consumers’ decision-making, which can create incentives for suppliers to optimize production and reduce their impact on the environment.

CHAI and its partners have created Climate Accountability in Development, a carbon coalition to create a smooth path for global health and development organizations to reach carbon neutrality. This means reducing emissions where possible and offsetting those that are unavoidable to the point where offsets cancel our emissions. As part of membership in this organization, CHAI has committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2025 and a 30 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

More details on CHAI’s approach to climate change are available here.

Reporting Concerns of Misconduct

CHAI maintains a strong organizational commitment to safeguarding and has robust internal safeguarding procedures to ensure we foster a respectful and ethical workplace.

CHAI takes all reports seriously and treats all concerns with sensitivity. The goal is prompt, impartial resolution. CHAI does not tolerate any form of harassment, retaliation, victimization, or adverse employment consequence against any staff member or other complainant who expresses concerns or lodges a complaint in good faith under the Global Code of Conduct or otherwise.

The following mechanisms are available to CHAI staff, volunteers, partners, community members, and others to report possible illegal, unethical, or improper conduct, as outlined in CHAI’s Global Code of Conduct & Ethics, additional policies, grant agreements, or contracts.

CHAI uses the Integrity Hotline as one reporting mechanism. This is a third-party service through Integrity Counts, that allows individuals to file a report of unethical behavior, illegal activity, or other violations of CHAI’s policies and procedures. The hotline can receive complaints in more than 200 languages. Reports can be made anonymously, with identifying details removed. All reports, whether they are submitted anonymously or by individuals who identify themselves, will be evaluated in the same manner in compliance with CHAI policies and applicable country laws.

Ways to report a concern or complaint

• Submit a report on Integrity Hotline Web Portal
• Email the Integrity Hotline
• Call your country’s Integrity Hotline phone number. The phone number associated with your country location can be found here. An operator is available in over 200 languages.
• CHAI staff can also use the following reporting options, included but not limited to their manager, a member of the global Human Resources team, or a Focal Point. A list of CHAI’s Focal Points is available to staff members here, along with additional resources.