Citation

Leonard M. Human Rights Brief 2023; 26(1): 26-29.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American University, Washington College of Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Nicole Jacobson, an American Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV ) in a Zambian village, was "far from home and feeling alone" when the father of the host family that the Peace Corps ("the agency") placed her with sexually assaulted her.1 Jacobson reported the assault to Peace Corps staff, who told her it was a cultural misunderstanding and kept Jacobson at the site for more than a year before allowing her to leave in 2018.2 Unfortunately, Jacobson's story is not unique. In fact, she is one of many Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who have come forward in recent years to share stories of the agency knowingly placing volunteers in dangerous sites, disregarding safety concerns, and downplaying the seriousness of assaults.

The Kate Puzey Volunteer Act of 2011 ("Kate Puzey Act" or "the Act") addressed some of these concerns following the murder of a PCV in Benin.4 The Act mandated new procedures for Peace Corps posts to prevent and respond to sexual assaults.5 However, the Act's passage did not have the intended effect, as the agency continues to violate its duty to volunteers.6 This Article argues that the Peace Corps has never met its obligation to ensure volunteer safety under the Kate Puzey Act and provides policy recommendations to help the agency rectify this failure.

Available at: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/hrbrief/vol26/iss1/5

Language: en