Summary:
The recent community of practice meeting, hosted by Cooperation Canada, focused on the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH) in the international cooperation sector. The discussion covered key challenges in policy adaptation, reporting mechanisms, and resource accessibility, emphasizing the need for inclusive and culturally appropriate safeguarding strategies. Participants explored the barriers faced by organizations in implementing effective PSEAH measures, particularly in communities with low literacy levels, and the role of donors and partners in ensuring accountability. The session also highlighted the necessity of improving training approaches and making safeguarding materials more accessible to diverse audiences.
Key takeaways:
- Strengthening reporting mechanisms is crucial, particularly in rural and low-literacy communities where traditional text-based resources may be inaccessible.
- There is a need for policies that explicitly recognize the barriers faced by populations with limited literacy and numeracy skills.
- Cross-learning and coordination between organizations can improve safeguarding mainstreaming and policy adaptation.
- Donor and partner accountability measures must ensure that both Canadian NGOs and their implementing partners have robust PSEAH policies in place.
- Existing safeguarding statements and training approaches may need adjustments to ensure they are contextually relevant and effectively communicated.
- Accessibility in resource development should prioritize alternative formats beyond written materials, such as oral-based reporting mechanisms or visual tools.
- Digital registration and participation processes should be streamlined to avoid technical barriers to engagement.
Next Steps:
- Develop more accessible safeguarding resources tailored for low-literacy communities, incorporating visual and oral-based approaches.
- Improve training methodologies to ensure safeguarding measures are introduced in ways that align with local knowledge and cultural norms.
- Foster ongoing collaboration among organizations to share best practices and strengthen cross-sector learning on PSEAH.
- Advocate for clearer donor guidelines and support mechanisms to help smaller organizations comply with PSEAH requirements.
- Streamline digital registration processes for future community of practice meetings to enhance accessibility and engagement.
- Organize follow-up discussions to explore alternative reporting mechanisms and identify strategies that have been successful in different operational contexts.
- Continue to provide spaces for dialogue, reflection, and capacity-building to strengthen safeguarding efforts across the sector.
