Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Two thirds of the 152 million people assisted by the World Food Programme (WFP) live in conflict-affected and insecure settings, which are often affected by gender inequalities, power imbalances, and general conditions which heighten the risk of abuse and exploitation, including of a sexual nature.

Any acts where our employees and those associated with our work use their positions of power to exploit those we serve are against our very mission, values and standards of conduct. WFP has a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse.

Sexual exploitation refers to any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting financially, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. Sexual abuse is the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Preventing sexual exploitation and abuse is a moral imperative for WFP, and as such, it is mainstreamed throughout the organization and its operations, and incorporated into our legal framework. Our approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) puts victims at the centre and is rooted in the United Nations Secretary General Bulletin on PSEA, which includes six core principles and defines SEA as ‘acts of gross misconduct’, constituting grounds for termination of employment.

WFP IASC Championship

Executive Director Cindy McCain is currently serving as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Champion on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment. Her key priorities as champion are: 

• Operationalizing a victim-survivor-centred approach 
• Promoting organizational culture change through leadership and partnerships 
• Supporting continued capacity strengthening across the sector 

Establishment of a Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Advisory Group

Central to the Championship in 2024 was the creation a global PSEA Advisory Group consisting of non-governmental and civil society organizations in high-risk countries, as identified by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Risk Overview.

The PSEA Advisory Group will serve as an independent expert body, advising the IASC on operationalizing a victim/survivor-centred approach. It will also ensure that the challenges faced by communities in priority countries are addressed and that women leaders from frontline humanitarian and civil society organizations play a guiding role in PSEA prevention and response efforts, both at the global and local level.

The Advisory Group includes 13 members, representing organizations from: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nigeria, State of Palestine, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Members include feminist leaders from women’s rights organizations, people with disabilities, youth and LGBTIQ+ groups, academia, and male gender-equality networks. MenEngage, a global network of over 90 organizations engaging men and boys in women’s rights, gender justice, LGBTQI+ rights, and social justice for all, is also a member of the Advisory Group. The participants represent very diverse contexts and have extensive experience working on gender-based violence – including protection from sexual exploitation and abuse – and deep expertise related to victims and survivors’ needs. 

The Advisory Group was established in August 2024 and the secretariat for the will be jointly led by WFP and the IASC secretariat.