Part 1.

Introduction:
Protection
Cont...d

What does Protection mean to you?

What does Protection Monitoring

mean to you
Presentation Outlines

> What is protection?

> Who is in need of protection?
> Who has the responsibility to protect?
> How should we do protection work?
> Humanitarian principles
> International Legal Standards
> PSEA
 Definitions of Protection

• What is Protection?
• “…all activities aimed at ensuring full respect for the rights
of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of
the relevant bodies of law...”

4
What does protection mean in practice?
 Activities to prevent violations of rights from occurring or
recurring;

 Activities to stop ongoing violations;

 Activities to provide remedies, through reparation and

rehabilitation, if violations have occurred;

 Activities to promote an environment conducive to respect for the

rights of all human beings;

 Activities to develop implement policies on protection

What is Protection?

Encompasses all activities aimed at obtaining full

respect for the rights of the individual as expressed in
international human rights, humanitarian, and refugee
law.

Actors shall conduct these activities impartially and not

on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, language,
gender, etc.
Doing protection work means…

To preserve a person’s dignity and integrity as a human being,

ensuring his/her physical safety and providing for his/her
material needs.

Protection of a human being in his/her fullness. This means a

concern for a person’s safety, dignity and integrity as a
human being.
When we talk about protection, we refer
to…
SAFETY (keeping people safe)

SECURITY (reduce risks  threats, vulnerability)

DIGNITY (choices, freedom, autonomy vs. humiliation, hunger,

impoverishment, isolation, etc)

INTEGRITY (right to life in its fullness, inc physical, psychosocial,

social, and cultural considerations)

EMPOWERMENT (coping mechanisms, strategies for self-protection )

Protection Principles

A. PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND DIGNITY, AVOID CAUSING FURTHER HARM

As much as possible prevent and minimize any unintended negative effect that

could increase peoples vulnerability by exposing them to either physical

or/and psychological harm

B. EQUITY AND MEANINGFUL ACCESS

Take pro-active steps to ensure beneficiaries’ meaningful access to impartial

assistance and facilities-in proportion to need without any barriers. Pay

particular attention to individuals and groups who may be particularly

vulnerable or have difficulties accessing services or/and facilities

 Meaningful access to services
Meaningful access to services is a human right
Ensure access for all the affected population to humanitarian
assistance.
Special measures to facilitate the access of vulnerable groups
should be taken, while considering the context, social and
cultural conditions and behaviors of communities.
The root cause of many conflicts is when one particular group
is discriminated against and denied fundamental rights. Enabling
all people to realize their rights can address this.
Services must be available in sufficient quality and quantity
Provided on the basis of need without discrimination
Should be safe and easy to reach
Cont..d
Known by potential beneficiaries
Accessible to all
Culturally appropriate and sensitive to age/gender/cultural
considerations
Provide people with information on their entitlements and
available services
Cont…d

C. ACCOUNTABILITY TO AFFECTED POLPULATIONS

Set up appropriate mechanisms through which the affected populations

receive the information they need to make informed decisions, provide
feed back on the interventions, share concerns and submit complains

D. PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

Support development of self-protection capacities and assist people in

claiming their rights including but not exclusive –lives free from
violence, shelter, food, water and sanitation, health and education
WHO IS IN NEED OF PROTECTION?

> All human beings have a right to a life in dignity, safety, security, and
integrity (UDHR)

> EXTREME LEVELS OF RISK, VARIETY OF CONTEXTS

 Civilians affected by armed conflict
 Refugees and asylum seekers
 Stateless persons/Aprox. 15 million in the world

 IDPs and Returnees

 Victims of human trafficking (*)
 PERSONS WITH SPECIAL PROTECTION NEEDS (women at risk, UASC,
persons with disabilities, etc.)
Who has the responsibility to
protect?
States
• Where cannot or will not, must allow humanitarian
action and international protection

Mandated and Specialized Agencies

• ICRC, UNHCR, UNICEF, OHCHR, OCHA

Non-mandated Agencies
• Impartial, humanitarian organizations (LNGOs,
INGOs, church-based organizations, etc)
Others?
 Humanitarian Principles
Humanity = saving lives and alleviating suffering wherever
it is found.

 Neutrality = actions must not favour any side in an armed

conflict or other dispute.

 Impartiality (and non-discrimination) = action based solely

on the basis of need, without discrimination between affected
people.

 Independence = humanitarian assistance carried out in

autonomy i.e. separate from the political, economic, military
or other actors’ objectives
 Who is responsible for
Protection?
States-Primary responsibility to protect
Where cannot or will not, must allow humanitarian
action
 Mandated and Specialized Agencies
 UNHCR, UNICEF, OHCHR & ICRC
 Non/self-mandated Agencies
INGOs, local NGOs, other humanitarian agencies
 People protect themselves
Family and friends
Community, tribe, religious groups
 Activity 1
Relief assistance can expose people to further violence

Agree Disagree

What is the humanitarian principle related to this issue?

Exercise 1 – True / False

International humanitarian organisations have the

primary duty to provide humanitarian assistance to IDPs,
Returnee and Refugees

Agree Disagree
Exercise 2 – True / False
Humanitarian organisations must provide
humanitarian assistance to all sides in a conflict.

Agree Disagree
Protection mainstreaming.

• The process of incorporating protection principles and

promoting meaningful access, safety, and dignity in
humanitarian aid (The Global Protection Cluster1 (GPC) )
Importance of PM

Identify and reduce vulnerabilities and / or exposure to

threats, thereby improving safety.
Enable most vulnerable persons/groups’ access to services.
Maximize protective impact of projects/programs and
contributes to creating a safer, more protective environment
Empowers individuals and communities to support and
protect themselves and therefore makes our activities more
sustainable
 HOW TO CONDUCT PROTECTION WORK

RISK = THREAT + VULNERABILITY x TIME

> Objective: to eliminate (or at least mitigate) the risk faced by

persons of concern in order to obtain full respect of their rights
THREAT

> Violations and deprivations that cause protection needs:

 Deliberate personal violence or fear of violence

 Deprivation, limited movement and restricted access
 Coercion

> Examples?
When doing protection work,
stakeholders may focus on…

Reducing the level of threat

Reducing the level of vulnerability
Reducing the amount of time exposed to the risk
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is keeping information about an
individual case private. Information is not be shared
with anyone other than the service provider.
Confidentiality is important because it is
connected with:
• Right to privacy
• Safety and security
• Encourage communication and trust
To note:
As you assure a beneficiary about confidentiality,
let them know it can be broken in case the
information given pauses a risk to the beneficiary
or any other person
Referral

A referral is the process of formally requesting

services for an individual from another service
provider through an established procedure and/or
form; Referral can be internal and/or external

The processes by which different professional sectors

communicate and work together, in a safe, ethical
and confidential manner, to provide the survivor with
comprehensive support
International legal frameworks
Ethiopia has signed:
• UNCRC ( United Nations Convention for the Rights of
Children.),
• United nation convention on the rights of person with
disabilities (UNCRPD)
• International Human rights law
• International Humanitarian Law (IHL),
• International refugee law,
• The African charter for the welfare and well -being of
children in Africa
• National Constitution
Part 2

Safeguarding
Zero Tolerance for Any Form of Abuse and
Exploitation
What Does Safeguarding Mean?
• Safeguarding is a term used to describe
philosophies, policies, standards, guidelines, and
procedures designed to protect children and people
in vulnerable circumstances from both intentional
and unintentional harm
• For Action Against Hunger, Safeguarding is
commitment to make sure;
• Persons, operations, and programs do not expose
children and adults to any risk of harm and abuse.
• Any concern about children and adult safety are
reported and appropriate action taken.
 Pillars of Safeguarding in Action Against
Hunger
Safeguarding Policies

Children &
Adults in
Who? Children the Staff
affected
community

Protection
Child From
Safeguardi Sexual
Sexual
How? ng/ Exploitatio
Harassmen
Protection n and
t policy
Policy Abuse
(PSEA)
policy
Applies to all Action against Hunger staff and representatives (volunteers, consultants,
partners, contractors, e.t.c.) 24/7
Defining basic terms
• Sexual Exploitation/ Faayidaaf Saal-qunnamtii
• Any actual or attempted abuse of a position of
vulnerability, differential power or trust for sexual
purposes.
• Sexual Abuse/Miidhaa saalaa
• Actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature
which can occur by force; or under unequal conditions
• SEA occurs when a position of power (such as being a staff
member of an NGO) is used for sexual purposes against a
beneficiary or vulnerable member of the community.
• Sexual Harassment
• Sexual harassment occurs when a staff member makes
unwanted sexual advance to another staff or degrade,
humiliate, attack based on gender identity, sexual
Protection
from
Sexual
Exploitatio
n and
Abuse
(PSEA
What is PSEA?

A Policy that set’s out Action

Against Hunger’s position to
protect children and adults PSEA deals with a
(women and men) in the Particular forms of
affected populations from GBV, specifically
sexual exploitation and abuse alleged against Aid
by Action against hunger staff
or representatives,(volunteers,
workers
consultants, partners,
contractors, e.t.c.).
Why to Talk About Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse?
2002: First allegations of SEA by
humanitarian aid workers reported in West
Africa.

Staff from 40 different agencies

were alleged for asking sex in
exchange for aid (biscuits, plastic
sheet or bar of soap)
2004: Creation of inter-agency PSEA Task
Force
IASC adopts Six Core Principles

2018: scandals with Oxfam/ Save the

Children

Rigid compliance requirements for

Code of Conduct
All employees and representatives of Action Against Hunger shall
never;
Engage in sexually exploitative relationships, request any service or
sexual favor from participants or others in the communities in which Action
Against Hunger works, in return for protection or assistance.
Have sex or engage in sexual activities with program participants.
Engage in sexual activity with a child (any person under the age of
18), regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally.
Suggest or demand any sexual favors from members of the
communities in which we work, in return for anything (money,
employment, goods or service) including using the services of sex
workers.
Fail to report any allegations, causes for concern, or suspicions of the
sexual exploitation and/or abuse of another person
በፍፁም፤
 ውለታዎችን በመዋል፣ የተለያዩ ጥቅማጥቅሞችን ወይም ገንዘብ በመሰጠት
በምትኩ ወሲብን አልጠይቅም፡፡
 ከልጆች (ዕድሜያቸው ከ18 ዓመት በታች ከሆኑ ሰዎች) ጋር ወሲባዊ ግንኙነት
ውስጥ አልገባም፡፡
 ከአገልግሎት ተጠቃሚዎች ጋር ወሲባዊ ግንኙነቶች ውስጥ አልገባም፡፡
 ድርጀቱ ለአገልግሎት ተጠቃሚዎች የሚሰጣቸውን ማንኛውም ቁሳቁሶች፣
አገልግሎቶች፣ እድሎችን በመስጠት በምተኩ ወሲባዊ ግንኙነትን
አልጠይቅም፡፡ የሲተኛ አዳሪዎችን አገልግሎትም አልጠቀምም፡፡
 ከላይ የተጠቀሱት የስነ ምግባር መርሆች በድርጅቱ ሰራተኞች ወይም ከድርጅቱ
ጋር አብረው በሚሰሩ ሰዎች ሲጣሱ አይቼ ዝም አልልም፡፡ ሪፖርት
አደርጋልው፡፡
IASC Six Core Principles

1.“Sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian

workers constitute acts of gross misconduct and are
therefore grounds for termination of employment.
2.Sexual activity with children (persons under the age
of 18) is prohibited regardless of the age of majority or
age of consent locally. Mistaken belief regarding the age
of a child is not a defence.
3.Exchange of money, employment, goods, or services
for sex, including sexual favours or other forms of
humiliating, degrading or exploitative behaviour is
prohibited. This includes exchange of assistance that is
due to beneficiaries.
Cont..d
3. Any sexual relationship between those providing humanitarian
assistance and protection and a person benefitting from such
humanitarian assistance and protection that involves improper
use of rank or position is prohibited. Such relationships undermine
the credibility and integrity of humanitarian aid work.
4. Where a humanitarian worker develops concerns or suspicions
regarding sexual abuse or exploitation by a fellow worker,
whether in the same agency or not, he or she must report such
concerns via established agency reporting mechanisms.
5.Humanitarian workers are obliged to create and maintain an
environment which prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and
promotes the implementation of their code of conduct. Managers
at all levels have particular responsibilities to support and
develop systems which maintain this environment.”
Examples
Examples:

Life is terrible here in this camp. For the past three days we
have not eaten because there is no firewood to cook the food. To
make it worse, they will not even allow us to go out to fend for
ourselves. Most times you have to beg the camp officials to
intervene with the guards before they will give you the pass to
go out. Why will you refuse if any of those people ask you for
marriage? You have to survive. One of the NGO workers who
lives in the camp has been giving me 100 Naira per day for sex.
I have to do it because I need the money to buy condiments to
cook tasty food for my children. It’s the only means I have. There
is no hope.
Cont..d
He allowed me to go outside the camp when necessary. When he asked me
to visit his newly allocated room in the camp, I didn’t see any reason not to
go because I felt safe with him. He gave me a bottle of Zobo [locally
brewed nonalcoholic drink] and I immediately felt dizzy and slept off. I
don’t know what happened thereafter but when I woke up he was gone and I
was in pain. For three days I could not walk properly. Some weeks later I
fell very ill, and was told at the hospital that I was pregnant. Then everyone
turned away from me: [He] refused to help me, and my stepmother who I
lived with in camp pushed me out, saying I was a disgrace. I reported [him]
to the police in camp several times but they have not done anything to him
because they work together. Whenever I see him, I wish something terrible
will happen to him. It is because of him that I have lost everything. I don’t
even think the baby will last because she is always crying and I can’t cope,
I eat once a day so [am] not producing enough milk to breast feed him well.
I pray that God will forgive me for neglecting the baby but I am helpless.
End

Any question?

Galatoomaa!!!!!!!!