Protection, Gender,

Inclusion and Safeguarding

(PGI)
Friday, July 21, 2023

Public
 Do no harm

2
Courtesy of the Norwegian Red Cross

Public
 What is…
Protection, Gender and Inclusion?
• Supports the protection and inclusion of groups at risk of violence,
discrimination, and exclusion.

• Focuses on Dignity, Access, Participation, and Safety of people including those often
marginalized.

Dignity Access Participation Safety

Public
 Examples of a PGI Approach…

Public
Public
Public
 True or False?

Women and girls have the same needs as men

and boys.

Public
 True or False?

Older people are not comfortable in engaging

with digital technology because of their age

Public
 True or False?

Adolescent/teenage girls; woman or child?

It makes no difference as long as they are included in

the overall number.

Public
 True or False?

If we do not get reports about Sexual and

Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)/domestic
violence, then it is probably not happening

Public
 True or False?

Only staff/volunteers with specialized training

can respond to the needs of a survivor of
violence

Public
 Some barriers to Dignity, Access and Participation are people and systems
that discriminate and exclude people based on:

• Disability
• Gender 
• Income/ Social Status
• Age
• Ethnicity 
• Migrant Status
• Sexuality

Protection, Gender & Inclusion, when done through the Framework of Dignity, Access and
Participation, means, no-one is left behind, no-one is left unsafe, no-one is left out
and we Do No Harm.

Public
 Discussion

Who are the marginalized group(s) you

work with? Who could be “left behind”?

Public
 Marginalized groups in Estonia

 Women, girls and boys (unaccompanied minors)

 Older persons
 People with disabilities (chronic illness, physical and/or mental)
 Ethnic minorities such as the Roma
 People from the LGBTQ+ community
 Refugees, migrants and/or people on the move
 Non-Estonian speakers
 People living in poverty

Public
 Protection means addressing violence and keeping people safe from harm. It
aims to ensure the rights of individuals are respected and to preserve the
safety, physical integrity and dignity of those affected.

Public
 Gender and diversity is about
addressing discrimination and
understanding people's different
needs, risks and capacities based
on their identity factors.

Public
 Inclusion means actively addressing exclusion by meaningfully involving
and engaging excluded people in our work.

Public
 Scenario- Group Work
An 80-year-old man from a rural area named Martin. He has a
chronic untreated illness, he needs a cane (mobility device) to
walk.
Martin does not have a cell phone, access to social media or any
access to the internet. He does not know how to access the
Estonian RC branch, and he doesn’t know much about the
programs that Estonian RC offers.
Martin is very isolated and in need of support from the Red
Cross, but he doesn’t know much about the support that we
offer.

What barriers is Martin encountering?

What potential support does Martin
need?
How can we ensure Martin has access
to the Red Cross services?
Public
 Discussion

In your work…

What risks or barriers do marginalized

people encounter?

Public
 Risks and Barriers that they encounter…

 Increased risk of violence and in particular sexual and gender-

based violence (SGBV)
 Human Trafficking (TiP) and family separation (particularly for
children)
 Not understanding information being shared
 Being left out of decision making
 No access to technology
 Unable to provide feedback and complaints

Public
 SAFEGUARDING
Our responsibility to keep people safe from harm caused by the misuse of
power by making sure that our staff, volunteers, programs, and
communications do no harm to children and adults, nor expose them to
abuse or exploitation.

PREVENTION OF
SEXUAL CHILD
EXPLOITATION AND SAFEGUARDING
ABUSE (PSEA)

Public
 Key Definitions:
Humanitarian Worker: All staff engaged by humanitarian and development
agencies and I/NGOs, national and internationally recruited, formally or
informally. This includes implementing partners, volunteers, contractors.

Person We Serve: Also called beneficiary. Any person who receives humanitarian
assistance.

Public
 Our Problem- Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) refers to abuses made by humanitarians
against the people we serve

• Scandal 2020 - sexual abuse by aid workers during the Ebola

response in the DRC
• Scandal, 2018 - sexual exploitation, pornography, bullying and
intimidation by aid workers in Haiti and elsewhere
• Scandal, 2002 – aid workers and peacekeepers from more than 40
countries involved in ‘sex for aid’ in West Africa
• #MeToo, #AidToo

Public
 IFRC Code of Conduct + PSEA

February 2021 PSEA Training

Public
 Child Safeguarding Policy
• Principle 1: Zero tolerance for violence, abuse, exploitation or neglect
against children

• Principle 2: The best interest of the child will be our primary

consideration

• Principle 3: Children will be involved in decisions that affect them

• Principle 4: Assess our risks through risk analyses

• Principle 5: Share responsibility; all personnel will take action

• Principle 6: Procedural fairness

Public
 Examples of inappropriate behaviour…
DO NOT…
• Hit, sexually touch, or say or do things verbally that can cause a child harm
• Watch pornographic material involving children
• Marry a child or conduct a virginity test
• Hire children for dangerous or hazardous work
• Take pictures without permission, use images that are not dignified,
including those that show children unclothed
• Interact with children in isolated ways where others cannot see or hear
you
• Provide children with alcohol or drugs

Public
 IFRC Integrity Line

Public
 Discussion Question

Who can be a perpetuator of

Sexual Exploitation and
Abuse?

Public
 Discussion Questions

Whose responsibility is it to
report Sexual Exploitation
and Abuse?
Public
 Informed consent

• Any sensitive complaints must be reported, you need to seek informed

consent before sharing any personal details or information which could reveal
their identity within the report. 

• Two exceptions where the requirement for informed consent can be

overridden: 
1. If there is a concern around the welfare of a child (under 18)
2. If there is an immediate risk to the Survivor or someone else

Public
 Discussion:

Identify which of the following scenarios you

would find easy to report and which one you
would find difficult to report? Why or why not?

February 2021 PSEA Training

Public
 You receive a call from a member of the
community who wants to report a Red Cross
volunteer who was rude and refused to answer
any questions.

Public
 You receive a call from a member of the
community who informs you that a volunteer has
told them that they will have to have sex with
them in return for cash vouchers.

Public
 You hear a rumour that a Red Cross
volunteer is frequently taking inappropriate
pictures of children.

Public
 DO NO HARM​
Safety​
• Avoid putting people at further
risk as a result of your actions.​
• Make sure to the best of your ability
that the people you serve are safe
• Report safeguarding concerns

Dignity​
• Treat people with respect and
recognize their unique needs

Rights​
• Make sure people can access help
fairly and without discrimination.​​
• Act only in the best interest of any
person you encounter.
Public
 Questions?

Public
 Thank you.

Erika O’Halloran- Protection Gender and Inclusion Delegate

Ukraine and Impacted Countries-

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

Public