Hi {{ first_name | there }},
Safeguarding systems only work when they work for everyone, especially those most vulnerable to harm.
Yet too often, safeguarding frameworks are designed with the "average" beneficiary in mind, inadvertently excluding people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, elderly persons, and others who face compounded risks.
Inclusive safeguarding isn't a separate initiative. It's the only kind that actually works.
Why Inclusivity Strengthens Protection Systems
When we design safeguarding with the most marginalized in mind, we create systems that are stronger for everyone.
Consider this:
A reporting system accessible to a person with visual impairment (audio options, screen-reader compatibility) benefits people who are illiterate or prefer verbal reporting
A policy that acknowledges gender specific risks creates space for all gender-based violence survivors to come forward
Physical spaces designed for wheelchair access help pregnant women, elderly persons, and people with temporary injuries
Inclusive safeguarding forces us to ask better questions:
Who isn't accessing our services; and why?
Whose voices are missing from our risk assessments?
What barriers exist that we haven't noticed because they don't affect us?
Who's Often Left Behind?
Research consistently shows these groups face higher risks and lower access to protection:
People with Disabilities
According to WHO research and multiple studies, children with disabilities are nearly 4 times more likely to experience violence than their non-disabled peers, and adults with disabilities face 1.5 to 4 times higher rates of violence. Yet they face significant barriers to reporting;inaccessible reporting mechanisms, lack of disability-confident staff, and assumptions that they can't advocate for themselves.
Ethnic and Religious Minorities
May distrust organizations perceived as aligned with majority communities, face language barriers, and experience discrimination within systems meant to protect them.
Elderly Persons
Often invisible in humanitarian responses designed around children and working-age adults. May have mobility limitations, cognitive changes, or isolation that increases vulnerability.
Women and Girls in Conservative Contexts
May be unable to access mixed-gender services, travel without male relatives, or report incidents that bring "shame" to their families.
People Living with HIV/AIDS
Face stigma that prevents disclosure and accessing support, plus heightened vulnerability to exploitation.
Sources: WHO/Columbia University systematic review (2022), US Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Against Persons with Disabilities reports
Accessibility Audit: Where to Start
Conduct a simple audit using these questions:
Physical Access
Can people with mobility limitations access your offices and services?
Are your facilities gender-segregated where culturally appropriate?
Do you have private spaces for sensitive conversations?
Communication Access
Are materials available in local languages and formats (Braille, audio, simple language)?
Do you have interpretation services for sign language and minority languages?
Can people with low literacy understand your reporting options?
Attitudinal Access
Have staff received training on disability inclusion and unconscious bias?
Do your safeguarding materials reflect diverse communities (images, examples)?
Programmatic Access
Do your risk assessments specifically ask about disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other identity factors?
Are community feedback mechanisms accessible to non-dominant groups?
Have you consulted diverse community members in designing safeguarding systems?
Gender-Based Violence: An Intersectional Approach
GBV affects all genders, but not equally. An intersectional lens reveals how multiple identities compound risk:
A refugee woman with a disability faces triple vulnerability
A child from an ethnic minority faces unique threats
An elderly woman in a conflict zone experiences different risks than a young woman
Effective GBV response requires:
Specialized services for diverse survivor populations
Staff trained in intersectional approaches
Flexible support that doesn't impose one-size-fits-all solutions
Partnerships with organizations led by affected communities
Partner Spotlight: Community-Based Protection
Some of the strongest inclusive safeguarding work happens through community-based organizations (CBOs).
A CBO we partnered with in East Africa, led by women with disabilities, transformed how their refugee camp addressed protection. They:
Trained international NGO staff on disability inclusion
Designed accessible reporting mechanisms
Provided peer support for survivors with disabilities
Advocated for inclusive emergency response planning
Result: Reporting of abuse against people with disabilities increased dramatically, not because abuse increased but because systems finally worked for them.
The Business Case for Inclusion
Beyond moral imperative, inclusive safeguarding:
Reduces organizational risk: Prevents incidents that occur when marginalized groups can't access protection
Strengthens donor confidence: Major donors now require disability inclusion and other inclusivity metrics
Improves program quality: Inclusive design improves access for everyone
Builds community trust: When the most marginalized feel protected, everyone's confidence increases
Practical Tools for Today
1. Conduct an Inclusion Audit
Use the Washington Group Questions to identify people with disabilities in your beneficiary population. Survey your staff on barriers they observe.
2. Create Inclusive Reporting Options
Add SMS, WhatsApp, and voice call options to supplement written forms. Partner with organizations of people with disabilities to ensure accessible design.
3. Train for Inclusion
All safeguarding training should include disability inclusion, cultural competency, and understanding diverse forms of discrimination.
4. Build Diverse Partnerships
Collaborate with organizations led by marginalized communities; they're experts on what protection looks like for their members.
Coming soon: SPI Academy will offer specialized courses on inclusive safeguarding, including "Safeguarding with Disability Inclusion" and "Inclusive Safeguarding in Humanitarian Settings."
Quote of the Week
"Inclusion isn't about charity or special treatment. It's about recognizing that protection systems designed without the most marginalized in mind will fail everyone."
SPI's Inclusive Safeguarding Services
We help organizations build inclusive protection through:
Accessibility audits of safeguarding systems
Inclusive policy development that addresses diverse risks
Staff training on inclusion, cultural competency, and intersectional approaches
Community consultation facilitation with marginalized groups
Technology solutions that ensure accessibility (multilingual platforms, audio options, low-bandwidth alternatives)
Your Action Step This Week
Pick one marginalized group in your operational context. Ask:
Can they access our reporting mechanisms?
Would they trust us enough to report harm?
What specific risks do they face that our current systems don't address?
Ready to Build More Inclusive Systems?
Contact us: [email protected]
Do you have questions, ideas, or resources on this topic? Reply to this email or share your thoughts; we'd love to hear from you.
Next Week:
Accountability in Action: Turning Policies into Results
We'll explore how to measure what matters and demonstrate genuine accountability.
Stay inclusive,
The Safe Path International Team
Safe Path International | Professional Safeguarding Consultancy
Serving the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe
Website | LinkedIn | Contact Us: [email protected]