Call for Participation – Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Capacity Building Journey for Civil Society Organizations

About ABAAD

ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality is a UN ECOSOC accredited organization that aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable social and economic development in the MENA region.

ABAAD advocates for the development and implementation of policies and laws that enhance women’s effective participation, through a rights-based approach that would bring about tangible change to gender justice.

With the purpose of ending gender-based violence, ABAAD adopts a holistic care approach to provide protection and support services to GBV survivors/right holders during times of peace, war and disasters since 2011.

Background

In partnership with the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), ABAAD is offering a phased, layered, and practice-oriented capacity building and coaching journey to strengthen the institutional capacity of civil society organizations to prevent and respond to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH). The journey will engage 80 institutional duty bearers from 40 Civil society organizations. Participants will include management level staff, human resources personnel, programme leads, and designated safeguarding focal points with responsibility for policy oversight, staff conduct, and accountability mechanisms.

The journey will unfold across four sequential and mutually reinforcing phases, enabling institutions to progress from awareness to ownership and operationalization. This is a long-term institutional strengthening process rather than a standalone training opportunity, and participating organizations are expected to engage as institutions committed to embedding PSEAH within their systems, culture, and daily practice.  

The journey begins with foundational capacity building on PSEAH and survivor-centered response, establishing a shared understanding of key concepts, standards, and organizational responsibilities. It then moves into a Training of Trainers (ToT) that prepares selected participants to deliver internal trainings and integrate the PSEAH digital platform within their organizations. Designated focal persons subsequently receive advanced role-specific training and coaching to lead complaint handling, survivor-centered follow-up, and alignment with national and international standards. The journey concludes with ongoing coaching, mentoring, and tailored technical support to help institutions develop or revise their internal policies, code of conduct, reporting procedures and accountability mechanisms, ensuring that safeguarding if fully embedded in daily practice.

General Definitions: 

Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 

Sexual exploitation and abuse refer to all forms of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature committed by UN personnel against recipients of assistance and other members of local communities. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:  

• Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18) regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally. Mistaken belief in the age of a child is no defence; 

• Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex or sexual favours. This includes any exchange of assistance due to recipients of assistance; 

• Sexual activity with prostitutes, whether or not prostitution is legal in the host country; and 

• Use of a child or adult to procure sex for others. 

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. While typically involving a pattern of behaviour, it can take the form of a single incident. Sexual harassment may occur between persons of the opposite or same sex. Both males and females can be either the victims or the offenders.