“Ultimately it’s a culture change, not just a policy change.” –Lucy, founder of AidMamas.org   Aid workers as parents How does that work? A small but significant subset within our survey population -21%- were aid workers who have one or more children. Being an aid worker can be a complex, demanding and all-comsuming occupation.  The fact that many aid workers are also parents -a complex, demanding and all-comsuming job- brings up many questions.  Here are just a few. In a sector characterized by international travel and frequent deployments how can an aid worker be a parent? How does the parenting role differ between males and females, and what are the problems unique to each and those that are common to both? More generally, how do aid workers deal with their part in the family ecosystem of which they are enmeshed either by choice or necessity? What are the leave policies of the big box aid organizations … Continue reading Aid workers as parents