AMEND CONTENT

3.1 Minimum requirements for prevention of SEA in emergency response

In every emergency programme, the Country Director (or CEG in the case of a Type 3 emergency – refer protocol A2) should ensure the following at a minimum:

  • Each staff member deployed for emergency programming and management including consultants, and other temporary staff receives a copy of the CARE Code of conduct and is made aware of the established procedures to report any incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse in the particular emergency setting.
  • Each staff member is required to sign an agreement as a mark of having read and understood the CARE Code of conduct/policy and procedures, and abide by the policy.
  • Responsibility for preventing and responding to sexual exploitation by staff is explicitly included in the job description of the team leader/HR manager/regional emergency advisors. This should include a clear role to monitor the development and implementation of SEA-related work in the CO emergency plans.
  • The emergency programme manager/team leaders develop and implement plans to create awareness among programme partners, vendors and beneficiary communities-especially among vulnerable groups such as women and children-regarding information on relief criteria, their entitlements and rights, CARE’s zero tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse, and reporting procedures for any incidents of SEA.
  • Resources are made available for the implementation of SEA work which would require a budget line for training or awareness-raising on SEA prevention and reporting procedures.
  • An effective feedback mechanism is implemented for grievance and complaints in the areas/communities we work in. This is critical to provide the opportunity for every individual in the community to let us know how we can improve our response, and as part of that they can also report on SEA issues.

An assessment of the status of response to SEA incidents and measures taken for prevention is included in the after-action reviews and other evaluations of emergency response. These assessment teams should include staff/consultants with expertise on gender and the topic of SEA.