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Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

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a lady locked behind some sort of cage
Photo Credit Muse Mohammed/IOM

Sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian workers inflict harm on those the humanitarian community is obligated to protect and jeopardizes the credibility of all assistance agencies. Humanitarian workers are expected to always uphold the highest standards of personal and professional conduct to protect beneficiaries of assistance.

The IASC is committed to protecting affected people from sexual exploitation and abuse in all humanitarian response operations. From the normative to the technical level, the IASC has taken determined action to strengthen the humanitarian sector’s response with a victim-centred approach. 

The IASC strives to:

  • Ensure a victim-centred approach to addressing sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment;
  • Promote positive change in organizational culture through strategic communications and role modelling;
  • Improve referencing systems to stop transgressors from moving through the humanitarian sector;
  • Strengthen sector-wide investigation capacity;
  • Support collective activities of in-country networks.

In January 2022, the IASC welcomed the new IASC Champion on PSEAH, Mr. Andrew Morley, Chair of SCHR (President of World Vision International).

IASC PSEAH Championship Priorities for 2022

IASC Champion's priorities lie across three domains:

  1. Affected Population-Focused

    The Champion will lead the IASC to agree upon a definition of a victim/survivor Centred approach, its main principles, and key entities/actions involved in its implementation including prevention work, investigations, and response to SEAH violations.
     
  2. Country-Level 

    The Champion will support the development of an institutionalised five-year project to centrally employ and deploy IASC PSEA coordinators to the 15 highest risk contexts and mobilise political support and additional donor funding for it.
     
  3. System Improvement  

    The Champion will lead the continued process of culture change started under the UNHCR and UNFPA Championships, building on the existing work of SCHR to ensure that the sector actively evidences a zero-tolerance approach for inaction on SEAH.

    For more details see IASC PSEAH Championship Priorities, Andrey Morley/SCHR 2022.

 

Key Resources on PSEA

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IASC Global Standard Operating Procedures on Inter-Agency Cooperation in Community-Based Complaint Mechanisms, 2016

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IASC Best Practice Guide Inter-Agency Community-Based Complaints Mechanisms, 2016

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In-Country PSEA Coordinator, Generic Terms of Reference, 2019

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IASC six core principles

IASC Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, 2019

Tools in Support of PSEA

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UN Implementing Partner PSEA Capacity Assessment

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a screenshot of the iasc accountability and inclusion resource portal showing three black girls wearing yellow bandanas and orange t-shirts with a bold statement in white saying speak up. take action. be a champion.

IASC Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Portal

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black ladies and men wearing colourful cloth dancing and singing

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Coordinator Roster

The PSEA Coordinator Roster provides direct support to Humanitarian Coordinators through the deployment of technical experts. PSEA Coordinators support and collaborate closely with Humanitarian Country Teams, clusters, and key national and local stakeholders, and lead inter-agency networks to ensure that protection from sexual exploitation and abuse is collectively addressed through codes of conduct and community-based complaint mechanisms, and strengthened through a country-level action plan. 

PSEA Missions

IASC Support Mission to Central African Republic (CAR)

screen shot of the cover page showing the title in bold blueUpon request of the Humanitarian Coordinator, the IASC provided PSEA field support to CAR in December 2020 and March 2021. The objective was to address allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse and review CAR’s 2018 Information Sharing Protocol. The IASC recommended identifying more resources in operational hubs and community outreach activities, specific coordinated mechanisms and increased awareness on the codes of conduct. 

 

 

 

 

 

IASC Support Mission to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

screenshot of the report cover pageFollowing the publication of reports of sexual exploitation and abuse in the DRC by the New Humanitarian and Thomson Reuter Foundation, affecting several IASC member organizations and other partners in the Ebola response, the IASC came together to put survivors at the center, hold perpetrators to account, and equally important, find out why, despite continued efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, the system is still failing to prevent these violations. The IASC Principals called for immediate and urgent action and the Emergency Directors Group (EDG) called for the deployment of an IASC field support mission to provide the needed technical support and assistance to the HC, HCT and the National PSEA Taskforce.

 

2021 IASC External Review of PSEA/SH

2021 IASC External Review of PSEA/SH

Cover page of the 2021 IASC External Review Global Report PSEAH

The IASC External Review of Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment was commissioned by the 2021 IASC PSEAH Champion, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.

The purpose of the review was to provide an independent assessment of the progress since the IASC review of PSEA in 2010 and to consider the impact and effectiveness of the IASC approach to PSEAH. The scope of the review is global. 


The review is organized around four themes: 

  • victim-centred approach
  • community engagement and accountability
  • leadership at global and country level
  • sexual harassment
Training
IASC Learning Package on Protection from Sexual Misconduct for UN Partner Organizations

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‘Saying No to Sexual Misconduct’ is an interactive and innovative learning package that aims to raise awareness among IASC partner staff and ensure they have the skills and tools to define, detect and respond to sexual misconduct.

This one-day in-person training uses case studies, testimonies, group discussions, creative team and role-play activities, powerful videos and thought-provoking questions to promote dialogue and learning.

Categories
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Related Results Group

Results Group 2 on Accountability and Inclusion (closed end of March 2022)

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Sat in a circle, a Ward Promoter, speaks at a meeting on hand washing issues attended by adolescents. They are smiling and talking intently.
Relevant Resource
  • FAQs on Inter-Agency PSEA
  • IASC Deputies Forum Meeting on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
  • Compilation of best practices from roll-out of IASC PSEA Toolkit
  • Diagram of Linkages between Accountability to Affected Persons and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
IASC Championship

IASC Champion on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment

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Dr. Natalia Kanem's reflections on IASC PSEA Championship

Dr. Natalia Kanem's reflections on IASC PSEA Championship

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Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA with a high level delegation mission on PSEA
Previous IASC Champions on PSEA

 

Dr. Natalia KanemDr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA
2021-2022

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for RefugeesMr. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
2019-2020

Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, UNICEFMs. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF
2018-2019

William Lacy Swing, Director of IOMMr. WIlliam Lacy Swing, Director General IOM
2011-2018

PSEA Field Support Team

The IASC PSEA Field Support team is comprised of a dedicated Inter-Agency team of technical specialists with the capacity to provide remote and in-country field support. A coordinated inter-agency field support missions can help Humanitarian Country Teams (HTCs) scale up PSEA in humanitarian response at country level in a predictable, timely and effective manner. See also the PSEA Task Force here.

PSEA Community Outreach and Communication Fund

The PSEA Fund provides rapid, targeted financial support to NGOs to develop and disseminate PSEA outreach and communications materials, and to make the materials available to all IASC members and the wider for further use or adaptation.

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A group of women gathered in front of a building
IASC PSEA Global Dashboard

The global dashboard tracks progress on accelerating PSEA within humanitarian response.

a flat world map showing some blue countries where PSEA progress has been identified

PSEA Resources Related to COVID-19
  • Interim Technical Note: Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) during COVID-19 Response - Version 1.0 (developed by WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, IOM, OCHA, CHS Alliance, InterAction and the UN Victims’ Rights Advocate)
  • Checklist to Protect from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse during COVID-19
Briefings

IASC Briefing on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Including Challenges during COVID-19 Response

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