Module 9: ‘Gender-based harassment and abuse risks for personnel’ is in section (B) ‘Operational Security’ of our three-part series ‘Keeping up with COVID-19: Essential guidance for NGO security risk management’.

With quarantines, lockdowns and work from home orders, gender-based harassment and domestic abuse incidents have shown a sharp increase worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harassment and abuse are forms of violence, and therefore fall under the purview of Security Risk Managers (SRMs) as threats to assess and mitigate.

The following module is divided into two parts: 1) it first describes the reasons why this is an important concern to address under the current pandemic, and 2) it offers practical solutions to employers grappling with the issue.

This module was written by Elizabeth Detwiler and Nimisha Mascarenhas, two Independent Consultants. The module is based on a literature review and series of interviews conducted with Juliana Bsawwami, CARE Lebanon; Joanna Costa, Kvinna til Kvinna; Therese Fitzpatrick, United Nations; Bridget Hancock, UN Women; Elizabeth Legrain, World Bank; Cathy Mahon, UNHCR; Carolyn Pearson, Maiden Voyage; Katja Pehrman, UN Women; Lisa Reilly, GISF; Giuseppe Scirocco, ICOCA; Julie Spooner, UNHCR; Anna-Liisa Tampuu, She Travel.