Attachments
Background
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by Humanitarian Workers directly contradicts the core values of humanitarian action and is a protection failure on the part of the aid and humanitarian community. SEA inflicts harm on those whom humanitarian worker is obligated to protect, as well as jeopardizes the credibility of all assisting agencies.
Working closely with partners and communities, Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and UN country team (UNCT) has significantly stepped up its fight against SEA. This work is informed by, and taking place in tandem with, the work of related actors including the broader UN system, donors, and civil society organizations.
Deteriorating and widening insecurity continues to expose increasing numbers of people to life threatening harm and injury, including risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. The rapid influx of humanitarian workers, and other service-related providers in affected areas, creates increased risks of SEA.
Women and girls continue to be at a greater risk of such violence due to displacement, the breakdown of social structures, a lack of law enforcement, the potential further entrenchment of harmful gender norms, and the loss of livelihood opportunities for both men and women in the community.
Purpose and Scope
This document presents the Afghanistan PSEA taskforce vision for preventing and responding to SEA in Afghanistan and sets out a concrete list of actions to raise awareness of PSEA concepts and tools amongst various stakeholders in order to creating and maintaining a safe and respectful environment for the people we serves and for all humanitarian agencies’ staffs and related personnel. This Includes UN, INGOs’, NNGOs’ staff members, consultants, individual contractors, volunteers, interns, and experts on mission.
The Strategy also acknowledges the complexity and limitation to HCT/ UNCT authority in relation to SEA perpetrated by implementing partner personnel, including Government personnel, and limited and insufficient data on prevalence of SEA in Afghanistan. However, it does include measures to address and prevent these violations including supporting partners to fully integrate PSEA into national programme in both development and humanitarian contexts, creating and activating the Interagency Task Force for Afghanistan, by the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in June 2019, creating a joined-up accountability culture that abhors, sanctions and prevents SEA and protects victims.