Safe programming/Protection mainstreaming Deirdre McArdle Humanitarian Manager Operations

Power walk

Human rights 1 Everyone is born free and has dignity as a human 3 Article Right 1 Everyone is born free and has dignity as a human 3 Everyone has the right to life and the right to live in freedom and safety 5 Everyone has the right not to be hurt, tortured or treated cruelly 15 Everyone has the right to nationality 21 Everyone has the right to vote in regular democratic elections and to take part in the government of their country 26 Everyone has the right to education and to free primary education What are we protecting?

Power Walk We are all born equal and with human rights We do not all have access to those rights. These rights can be deliberately denied or abused, putting people’s safety and dignity at risk. People in positions of power are more likely to have the resources and support to ensure their rights are respected. The most vulnerable may have fewer opportunities to claim their rights and may stay invisible if humanitarian actors do not make a conscious effort to find and listen to them. It was clear that participants were scattered across the room. Those with more power and greater access to their rights were closer to the facilitator and those who were more vulnerable were further back in the room We are all born equal and with human rights (such as the right to education and the right to family life). However, we do not all have access to those rights. This may be due to socioeconomic, political, ethnic or religious factors. These rights can be deliberately denied or abused, putting people’s safety and dignity at risk. This is especially true in conflict situations. If suitable for the context and audience, EXPLAIN that: People in positions of power are more likely to have the resources and support to ensure their rights are respected. The most vulnerable may have fewer opportunities to claim their rights and may stay invisible if humanitarian actors do not make a conscious effort to find and listen to them. As protection is about promoting respect and protection of individuals human rights, it is important to understand what those rights are, under both international and national law. Understanding power, vulnerability and rights is not only important for protection actors. As humanitarian organisations implementing different types of programmes—e.g. food, shelter, sanitation, etc—we need to understand what rights are being violated, and what power dynamics and vulnerabilities exist in the areas in which we work in order to support individuals and communities attain the relevant rights.

Definition of protection “(…) all activities aimed at ensuring full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the relevant bodies of law, i.e. human rights law, international humanitarian law, and refugee law.” A multi-sector activity A legal responsibility An objective

What are you protecting against? Violence Coercion Deliberate deprivation Discrimination these four threats affect the ability of people to access their most fundamental rights. In other words, if violence, coercion, discrimination or deprivation are present, it is unlikely civilians are having their rights respected. The 4 Human Generated Threats

Human Generated threats Violence is behaviour intended to harm someone. Violence can come in different forms, such as physical, sexual, psychological or even structural. Examples include deliberate killing, wounding, sexual violence, torture, or the fear of any of these Coercion and exploitation is persuading someone to do something against their will by using force or threats. Examples include forced labour, forced displacement, sexual exploitation, or forced recruitment.

Human Generated threats Deliberate deprivation normally occurs when a person with greater power denies materials or other resources (e.g. information) to a more vulnerable person. Examples include obstructing delivery of humanitarian assistance, refusing to issue ID documents, illegal taxes, preventing access to services including health, education, markets or justice system. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age and/or sex. Examples include preventing certain groups from accessing assistance, limiting access of certain groups to jobs and services (such as education or healthcare), and preventing land tenure by specific groups.

Recap We are all born equal and with human rights. However, not everyone has access to those rights.   Protection is a rights-based approach that focuses on preventing and responding to situations when a human generated threat (violence, coercion, deliberate deprivation or discrimination) has denied people from enjoying their full rights.   Protection should be central to all humanitarian work: ALL humanitarian actors have a responsibility to mainstream protection The four threats impact individuals' rights. If violence, coercion, discrimination or deprivation are present, individuals' rights are not being respected and people can face serious harm. This also has an effect on their access to assistance. We need to consider what threats exist where we are working and how they affect the safety, dignity and access of individuals and communities to assistance.

Protection Mainstreaming (Safe & Dignified Programming) “The process of incorporating protection principles and promoting meaningful access, safety and dignity in humanitarian aid”

Guiding Principles Prioritise safety and dignity and avoid causing harm (Do No Harm) Meaningful access (equality) Accountability to beneficiaries Participation and empowerment Do No Harm (safety and dignity): prevent and minimise as much as possible any unintended negative effects of your intervention which can increase people's vulnerability to physical and psychosocial risks. Meaningful access: arrange for people’s access to impartial assistance and services - in proportion to need and without any barriers (i.e. discrimination). Pay special attention to individuals and groups who may be particularly vulnerable or have difficulty accessing assistance and services. Accountability to beneficiaries: set-up appropriate mechanisms through which affected populations can measure the adequacy of interventions, or address concerns and complaints. Participation and empowerment: support the development of self-protection capacities and assist people to claim their rights, including - not exclusively - the rights to shelter, food, water and sanitation, health, and education

Protection Mainstreaming Principles Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01dgbxpyOU

Barriers Logistical Financial Security Technological Physical Psychological Cultural

Recap Protection mainstreaming is also known as ‘safe and dignified programming’. Prioritising safety and dignity, and enabling meaningful access to assistance are central to protection mainstreaming. All humanitarian actors have a role to play in protection mainstreaming. By mainstreaming protection, we can provide better quality services and support people to enjoy their rights. Mainstreaming focuses not on what we do, but how we do it.

Protection Mainstreaming Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMig9gfNGE

Vulnerability Exercise Rank the individuals, according to how vulnerable they think they are likely to, considering their sex, age and other diversity factors. They should rank them from 1 (most vulnerable) to 10 (least vulnerable).

Debrief Vulnerability is not inherent. Staff should not make assumptions about who is ‘vulnerable’ and in need. Vulnerability is determined by a number of overlapping factors including sex, age and other diversity factors such as their age, ethnicity, nationality, political affiliation etc. People’s capacities should also be considered (refer back to the risk equation in Module 3, if it was used in this workshop). Identifying and selecting those most in need means analysing who experiences a combination of overlapping vulnerabilities and may not have capacities to cope with risks.