Safeguarding Matters podcast: New ways of working

Please be advised that this podcast contains content on safeguarding, which some may find distressing.

In September 2020, the New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed that ‘More than 50 women accuse aid workers of sex abuse in Congo Ebola crisis'. On this episode, our Associate Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi talks to Nellie Peyton, one of the journalists who uncovered the story, to understand what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo and how. Ester Dross, an experienced safeguarding advisor, also joins to help us explore what the sector can learn from this experience.

A summary of RSH's top takeaways from this podcast:

1. Engage communities from the start: Communicate with communities on their rights, expectations and the ways to report concerns.
2. Provide incentives to report: Explain exactly what happens to reports.
3. Strengthen recruitment processes: Consider candidates as potential prey as well as perpetrators
4. Give weight to safeguarding or PSEAH focal points: A direct link to management will enable real change.
5. Be proactive: It’s not good enough to sit and wait for reports. Go out there and talk to people.