Survivors and those most at risk of sexual misconduct are best placed to guide the prevention and response to such misdeeds. There is a need to hire more people, and especially women and other under-represented groups, from the global south to humanitarian and development organisations in order to make programmes safer, more effective and relevant to the local population. The presentation was given at an all-staff online meeting of IFRC in Africa on 28 Sept 2021.

1. Internal
28 September 2021
Preventing sexual
misconduct
at the workplace
and in operations
Tina Tinde
Head of IFRC‘s Cluster Office a.i. Niger

2. Internal
All organisations face this challenge, internally and in operations.
What works?
Putting the rights, views and experiences of survivors first is crucial.
Those most at risk of sexual misconduct know best what the problem
is in their specific situation or location.
Enable them to lead the response.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?

3. Internal
Start with our own staff,
because:
Employees have a right
to be safe at work.
Staff members who
know exactly how to
prevent and respond to
sexual harassment
internally will do a
great job doing the
same in operations.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
From left:
Maazou,
Ibrahim and
Boubacar at
an IFRC
workshop on
prevention of
sexual
harassment
in Niamey,
Aug. 2021

4. Internal
Start with our own staff,
because:
“Cleaning up one’s own house
first” is a good principle.
Movement employees are
accountable to the national
legislation where they work.
Exceptions cover professional
duties and not misconduct.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Police officers
from Niger
outlined
legislation
against sexual
harassment,
redress and
support for
victims at an
IFRC workshop in
Niamey in Aug.
2021

5. Internal
Losing valuable talent, mainly
female and other marginalised
groups, is a typical outcome of
sexual harassment.
Gender parity at all levels is
necessary to ensure impartiality vis-
à-vis affected people, who are 50%
female and male.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Layla Diallo,
Political
Advisor,
ICRC Niger
and Tina
Tinde, Head
of
Delegation
a.i. IFRC
Niger

6. Internal
In practical terms:
Inform all new and
current staff about
national laws against
sexual harassment and
the CoC prohibitions.
Ask survivors of sexual
harassment what should
be done to end such
misdeeds.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Participants at
an IFRC
workshop on
prevention of
sexual
harassment at
the Red Cross
compound in
Niger, July
2021

7. Internal
In practical terms:
Hold workshops where participants
suggest what should be done and
follow up in detail.
Make sure women, persons from the
global south, people with disabilities,
LGBTIQ and other marginalised groups
are given authority and senior roles in
order to lead the efforts.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Josephine Kaluu,
who is deaf,
gave valuable
advice at an
IFRC Sexual and
Gender-based
Violence
regional forum
in Nairobi in Oct
2016

8. Internal
Remember:
Acknowledge that power abuse
sometimes manifests itself in sexual
harassment.
Do not blame the victim. It is never
the victim’s fault that they are being
targeted.
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Fatima
Ibrahim,
Human
Resources
Officer at IFRC
in Niger and
Tina Tinde,
IFRC Head of
Delegation a.i.
in Niger

9. Internal
Listen to Islam El-Ghazouly’s
amazing talk (click on photo)
about hiring more people from
the global south to humanitarian
organisations.
We are implementing a key part
of his talk in Niger 
Which part and what does it
have to do with ending sexual
misconduct?
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Islam El-Ghazouly addressing a workshop on human
resources held by the CHS Alliance in July 2021.

10. Internal
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Point: Colonial and misogynist
attitudes are pervasive in
international aid including in
recruitment says Mr. ElGhazouly.
His advice:
Recruit more local women and
don’t demand that they speak the
languages of the former colonial
powers in their country.
Shift the power balance entirely.
Gloria Lombo,
Programme
Coordinator at
Democratic
Republic of
Congo Red Cross,
at a SGBV
regional forum in
Nairobi, Oct.
2016.

11. Internal
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
Local people know best what their challenges
are.
Ensuring a gender balance among staff means
that women, who are more at risk of sexual
misconduct than men, get to have their say.
Niger Red Cross with support from Finnish Red
Cross and IFRC is hiring local, female experts on
SGBV to discuss sexual misconduct by aid
workers and how to prevent and respond.
French RC also supports the PSEA effort.

12. Internal
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
In Zinder region in Niger, IFRC is
integrating local women into a health
and nutrition project and the Covid-19
information campaign who are familiar
with risks of sexual exploitation and
abuse (SEA).
These women will conduct meaningful
and discreet conversations in the local
languages (Hausa and others) with
women and adolescent girls about the
risks of SEA during the delivery of aid.
Leyla is a
volunteer
with Niger
Red Cross

13. Internal
What can IFRC do to end sexual misconduct?
IFRC is using the “Empowred Aid” concept which is to let women and
adolescent girls guide interventions against sexual exploitation and abuse in
humanitarian settings.
Empowered Aid is run by the Global Women’s Institute of George Washington
University in Washington, D.C. Since 2017, it has sought advice in Uganda and
Lebanon on risks of SEA and is expanding to Bangladesh and other countries.

14. Internal
14
Questions?
Write to tina.tinde@ifrc.org
Thank you