OWASP Foundation Statement on Anti-Harassment
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
This week has been a stark reminder that having a policy against harassment and abuse is an empty promise if there is not a fully-functioning process behind it to ensure complaints are heard and fairly addressed, with egregious violators permanently removed from the community.
OWASP stands with victims of harassment and abuse and unequivocally condemns abuse in all of its forms. Our commitment to our community is to ensure our meetings, activities, and events are a safe space that is welcoming to all and providing a competent mechanism for victims to report incidents and receive a swift outcome.
To that end, the OWASP Foundation has taken this opportunity to examine our approach to handling such incidents and ensuring we are doing all the right things and not furthering the harm.
We began this work in 2020 with an external review of our bylaws and policies. As a result, we strengthened our anti-harassment clauses in our Code of Conduct and Director’s Code of Conduct and our complaint process.
However, we want to do more. We need to do more. We are further committing to doing a full review of our harassment and abuse process, from the complaint intake to the final resolution. We will also ensure that these policies clarify that egregious violators will be permanently removed from the OWASP community and include mechanisms that ensure it happens.
We look forward to engaging with our community to strengthen our commitment to providing a safe space for all to participate and sincerely hope you will join us.
The OWASP Foundation