Summary:
The recent community of practice meeting focused on exploring practical strategies and challenges related to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH) in international cooperation. Participants reflected on how safeguarding efforts intersect with broader commitments to intersectional feminism, decolonization, and locally-led development. Discussions centered on how to meaningfully implement PSEAH in diverse contexts, especially when working with partners and community members in humanitarian or development spaces marked by varying literacy levels, cultural norms, and power dynamics.
Several contributors raised questions about the effectiveness and accessibility of existing reporting systems, particularly in communities where written communication may not be feasible or where trust in formal structures is limited. Others emphasized the importance of aligning PSEAH approaches with the lived realities of local communities, and the need to recalibrate communications and expectations with both international and local staff. The conversation also highlighted how safeguarding work is deeply relational, requiring trust, time, and a willingness to challenge dominant assumptions in the sector.
Key themes and reflections:
- Training methods and local resonance – Some noted that brief, standardized online training formats may not be adequate for fostering deep understanding of PSEAH principles, especially in complex field contexts. There was interest in exploring more relational and dialogic approaches to training that acknowledge power dynamics and local knowledge systems.
- Navigating norms and expectations – Participants shared experiences of friction when universal safeguarding norms meet local practices. Suggestions included offering clear, concrete examples during orientation processes, and creating space for conversations that unpack assumptions around what “zero tolerance” means in practice, especially across cultures and contexts.
- Access to reporting mechanisms – In communities where literacy, digital access, or trust in institutions are barriers, participants highlighted the need for creative and culturally grounded reporting options. Some proposed visual or oral reporting tools, or leveraging existing local accountability structures that communities already trust.
- Trust-building as foundational – Several participants emphasized that trust is not incidental but central to PSEAH efforts. Building trust requires sustained investment, presence, and a willingness to listen and adapt safeguarding approaches based on feedback from those most affected.
- Partner realities and capacity – There was discussion around how partners, especially smaller or local organizations, often face resourcing and capacity constraints when implementing donor-mandated safeguarding policies. Participants discussed the tension between upholding strong standards and the need for flexibility and solidarity.
- Data governance and power – Questions were raised about who collects, owns, and uses safeguarding data, and how data practices might reinforce or challenge existing power imbalances. There was interest in exploring more participatory and transparent approaches to data in this space.
