ABSTRACT
This part of the book focuses on the different identities and experiences of parents in the aid sector and is led by the interviews that have been conducted. It has been loosely divided into different chapters highlighting how different identities and life situations intertwine with the experience of working in the aid sector, and how well the aid sector is accommodating the different realities these parents face. The division is somewhat arbitrary because parenthood of aid staff could be dissected to oblivion, but also because many parents would fit into multiple or none of the categories, and by fitting them somewhere, there is also a prejudgment that a specific category (or label, if you will) defines them.
The chapters take a deep dive into the realities of mothers who work on national contracts, LGBTQIA+ parents, single mothers, fathers, and trailing spouses. It looks at the challenges they face and how they would need the aid sector to change. It also includes a chapter on household staff or nannies, who as a workforce enable much of the work parents are doing in the aid sector. It looks at the experiences of nannies working for parents in the aid sector, what their rights are and should be, and how the dependency on nannies allows the aid sector to remain an inflexible workplace for parents.
