As conflicts worsen and forced displacement rises, protection risks faced by communities across the world continue to escalate unlike ever before. As has been demonstrated across the aid industry, when emergency assistance does not consider gender-specific vulnerabilities, there is higher risk of gender-based violence (GBV), including domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA); human trafficking; and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
FHI 360 incorporates protection principles and promotes meaningful access, safety and dignity in all of its humanitarian programs. We are committed to advocating and maintaining the centrality of dignity in all interventions and seek to understand how our actions affect people’s safety. This includes adhering to FHI 360’s safeguarding commitments and minimum standards for safeguarding program participants to ensure no individual is harmed because of their engagement or interaction with us. Our programming is survivor-centered — ensuring safety, confidentiality and respect for the survivor and their right to informed choice.
FHI 360 actively promotes protection from all forms of GBV through prevention, response and coordination, as risks increase due to breakdown of rule of law and the influx of humanitarian actors, volunteers and foreigners responding to humanitarian needs. In crisis contexts, we establish safe spaces where we conduct psychosocial support activities and individual case management, often working with local partners and government ministries. We also provide standard protection emergency material assistance — such as dignity kits or material support for urgent protection needs — and conduct protection risk assessments and regular monitoring to understand areas that might be prone to GBV. We work to strengthen child protection services as well, addressing the specific risks facing children and ensuring they receive safe and accessible case management services.
At the family and community levels, we deliver psychosocial support services to address the minimum needs of the most vulnerable — women and children, older people, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and people who have been displaced. This involves focused nonspecialized support (with referrals to specialized services where needed) and access to basic services. We support adults, young people, and adolescents with life-skills training on various topics, while strengthening local government and community capacity to provide appropriate services and referral systems. Additionally, working with local nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, and relevant ministries and social networks, we expand the reach of emergency protection services and strengthen capacity to facilitate additional support to communities. We also work to strengthen linkages between health care providers and protection services to ensure clinical care is available for survivors of GBV. This includes training health workers to identify and support survivors presenting with mental health and psychosocial support needs.
To support protection coordination, advocacy and information, we bolster community-based support mechanisms and raise awareness around protection issues. As part of this effort, we collect, verify and analyze information to identify human rights violations and protection risks encountered by people who have been displaced and other vulnerable populations.
FHI 360 is an active member of the Global Protection Cluster (GPC), the GBV Area of Responsibility (AoR) and other coordination bodies such as the GPC’s Anti-trafficking Task Team. FHI 360 is also a member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), where we coordinate and contribute to policies, procedures and guidance initiatives, especially pertaining to GBV and PSEA, and participate in the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health in Crises.
