Sexual Misconduct Policy

Veterinarians Without Borders North America (VWB) has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct of any kind among VWB's employees or related personnel. In the promotion of a working environment that's free from harassment and abuse, VWB has committed to fight abuse and to reinforce mechanisms and procedures to prevent and address this. This includes enhancing grievance channels at all levels of the organization, and supporting victims and whistleblowers.

VWB adheres to these guidelines:

• Everyone engaged in the work of VWB has the right to work in a harassment-free and respectful environment.
• VWB is committed to addressing inappropriate behaviour, including sexual misconduct, by or towards its employees or related personnel.
  VWB employees or related personnel responsible for conduct which can be construed as sexual misconduct will be subject to appropriate administrative and/or disciplinary measures.
• Measures to deal with sexual misconduct will be based on the principles of fairness, impartiality, sensitivity and respect. However, VWB recognizes the importance of believing those people who come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct and taking steps to protect victims from the person or people alleged to have committed sexual misconduct.
• Everyone who represents VWB has a responsibility to sustain a respectful work environment by upholding the highest standards of conduct and applying necessary confidentiality measures. VWB will ensure that adequate resources are available to promote a positive work environment and to prevent inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
• Complainants have the right to choose an informal (discussion with Immediate Supervisor, Country Director and/or Local Coordinator) or formal dispute resolution process (via the online complaints mechanism, vwbincidents.ca)
• VWB will provide appropriate mechanisms to prevent or deal with retaliation related to the reporting of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Questions about VWB's policies around sexual misconduct? Reach out to info@vwb.org for more information, or contact us confidentially at vwbincidents.ca