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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:47 am
Time: 1:47 am
Results for humanitarian aid workers
2 results foundAuthor: Wille, Christina Title: Operating in Insecurity. Shifting patterns of violence against humanitarian providers and their staff Summary: This report identifies the following trends over the last 15 years: • The proportion of national staff affected by all types of security events has increased among all types of humanitarian aid providers (UN, Red Cross, and INGOs), an effect that is particularly strong during periods of active fighting. This suggests that the exposure to the most dangerous environments has been increasingly transferred to national staff members. The trend is slightly less apparent among INGOs than for UN and Red Cross agencies. • The proportion of international female staff members who experience severe security events has decreased, even though absolute numbers have risen. The reason for this remains unclear. • In contrast to INGOs, the proportion of security events affecting the UN and the Red Cross over time has fallen in some contexts and risen in others. The proportion of events affecting the UN has decreased in rural areas and during road travel. However, in urban areas and during periods of active fighting, UN agencies continue to experience security events in above average proportions. We interpret this trend as indicating that the UN’s security policies have succeeded in limiting staff exposure in areas of wellknown risk (in rural areas and on the road) through a variety of measures. Nonetheless, these figures highlight continued exposure to insecurity in specific areas, particularly in cities and during periods of active fighting between conflict parties. • The proportion of security events affecting Red Cross agencies in rural areas has fallen, but their proportion of security events occurring during travel on the road remains high. The Red Cross also experiences a high proportion of severe security events during periods of active fighting and in urban contexts. We suggest that this reflects the ICRC’s and National Societies’ presence during periods of active fighting, as well as their continued travel to hot spots to access people in need. • Across all contexts, INGOs continue to bear the greatest share of security events. This is particularly true in rural areas and during road travel, and slightly less so in urban areas and during active fighting. We interpret this as reflecting an increased INGO presence in areas of sustained assistance, in particular in rural areas, but cannot judge to what extent security measures and intentional targeting by perpetrators influences this trend. • Overall we believe that the pattern of security events suggests an overall increase in humanitarian presence in highly insecure places. This, in turn, affects their exposure and vulnerability to violence and insecurity, and might influence perpetrator intention as well. Details: Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland: Insecurity Insight, 2013. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Insecurity Insight Report 13-1; Accessed April 16, 2013 at: http://www.insecurityinsight.org/files/Report_13_1_Operating_in_Insecurity.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.insecurityinsight.org/files/Report_13_1_Operating_in_Insecurity.pdf Shelf Number: 128377 Keywords: Humanitarian Aid WorkersSecurity ProvidersVictims of Violence (International) |
Author: Nobert, Megan Title: Addressing Sexual Violence in Humanitarian Organisations: Good Practices for Improved Prevention Measures, Policies, and Procedures Summary: Report the Abuse (RTA), the first global NGO to solely address sexual violence against humanitarian aid workers, has created the first good practices tool to assist humanitarian organisations in their efforts to improve how they address this problem. As the issue has gained more exposure, humanitarian organisations across the globe have increasingly asked for guidance. This good practices tool, as well as other guidelines and information created by RTA, forms the foundational basis for improved prevention measures, policies, and procedures to address sexual violence against humanitarian aid workers. Any discussion on this issue must start with why it happens, and to that end RTA's good practices tool begins by examining the most significant risk factor for sexual violence in humanitarian workplaces: organisational culture. Cultures that encourage constructive feedback, address misconduct issues, and provide the information and resources necessary for sexual violence issues to be addressed in a professional and survivorcentred manner are less likely to experience such incidents. Organisational culture not only underpins why sexual violence incidents occur, but why survivors so rarely report incidents. It is the core change that humanitarian organisations must be working towards - emphasising zero tolerance for sexual violence incidents of any nature. Zero tolerance must start with implementing strong and repetitious prevention measures: including simple and clear messaging about how sexual violence will not be tolerated, combined with appropriate, sensitive, and frequent trainings on the topic. Backed by strong leadership, these measures have the potential to significantly reduce the number of sexual violence incidents that might occur in humanitarian workplaces. Of course any prevention measure, in addition to being understood by all members of staff, must also be supported by policies and procedures that underline both prevention and response. Comprehensive, holistic, accessible, and survivor-centred policies on sexual violence in humanitarian workplaces serve an essential function: clarifying what is sexual violence, how to report incidents when they occur, and the consequences for perpetrators. The development of such policies must take into account feedback from staff members, in particular national staff, and evaluate the trust they have in the organisation's structure and mechanisms; this allows for the creation of an M&E system to start evaluating how humanitarian organisations are doing to address the issue. There is a myriad of ways to guarantee staff members fully understand what is acceptable behaviour: starting from recruitment through to the regular signing of a Code of Conduct. Ensuring that the language used in policies on sexual violence is accessible and understood by everyone in the organisation - from the cleaner to the Executive Director - can be a daunting task; however it is necessary for all members of staff to understand their rights to a safe and healthy workplace, as well as how they must contribute to the creation of one. It is important to remember that the first people a survivor encounters post-sexual violence can have a strong impact on their entire recovery process, good or bad. Therein lies the significance of developed and operational procedures, the final piece to creating safe and healthy workplaces for all humanitarian aid workers, and the real demonstration that all prevention measures and policies put in place by the organisation function professionally, impartially, and in a survivor-centred manner. Procedures start with functional and accessible reporting processes that result in transparent, professional, and impartial investigations; they end with accountability for both survivors and perpetrators. Where possible this should involve local justice mechanisms, bearing in mind that in many of the locations where humanitarian operations are undertaken this may not be a reality. In all circumstances though, the priorities must be the support and care of survivors, and the creation of an environment where impunity is not allowed to thrive. Given the importance of an organisation's culture in preventing incidents of sexual violence, it should be clear that different roles within humanitarian organisations could be vital to addressing this issue. To further assist humanitarian aid workers at all different levels, we have provided some analysis of how different roles can and must contribute to the creation of safe and healthy humanitarian workplaces, and we actively encourage the empowerment of individuals within such roles to address this problem. Finally, as part of our continuing efforts to provide support and guidance, for all of the sections noted within this short summary, a series of recommendations has been provided. These recommendations should help to guide implementation of the good practices tool, and in particular assist in the development of M&E measures to determine progress on the issue. However, humanitarian organisations are also encouraged to expand on the ideas outlined within this tool and use it as a starting or foundational block. The publication of the good practices tool, and other guidance and information created by RTA, should not be seen as the end of work on the issue. This is the starting point, from which we hope others will take up our call to action. Addressing sexual violence against humanitarian aid workers is necessary, and it must happen now, not tomorrow. It is a real and grave issue that needs to be tackled by all humanitarian organisations, for the benefit of all humanitarian aid workers. Details: Swit: Report the Abuse, 2017. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2017 at: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/RTA%20Addressing%20Sexual%20Violence%20in%20Humanitarian%20Organisations%20-%20Good%20Practices%20for%20Improved%20Prevention%20Measures%2C%20Policies%2C%20and%20Procedures.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/RTA%20Addressing%20Sexual%20Violence%20in%20Humanitarian%20Organisations%20-%20Good%20Practices%20for%20Improved%20Prevention%20Measures%2C%20Policies%2C%20and%20Proce Shelf Number: 147443 Keywords: Humanitarian Aid WorkersRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceWorkplace Violence |