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.