Empowered Aid Resources

Pilot Reports in Lebanon and Uganda

 

Empowered Aid Lebanon Phase 2 Pilot Report Cover

 

Phase 2 Pilot Reports in Lebanon

This booklet shares the reports from the two pilots conducted in Lebanon – a fuel voucher distribution and a food distribution – to test recommendations made by women and girls that could increase their safety at aid distributions. The booklet contains the summary report for each pilot as well as individual reports for each of the tools used during the distribution. The tools used by the distribution team, and how they planned for the distributions can be found in the Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions on the “Manuals and Toolkits” tab..

 

 

Phase 2 Pilot Reports in Uganda

 

Phase 2 Pilot Reports in Uganda

This booklet shares the reports from the four pilots conducted in Uganda – the first food distribution, dignity kit distribution, the second food distribution, and a solar lamp distribution – to test recommendations made by women and girls that could increase their safety at aid distributions. The booklet contains the summary report for each pilot as well as individual reports for each of the tools used during the distribution. The tools used by the distribution team, and how they planned for the distributions can be found in the Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions on the “Manuals and Toolkits” tab.

 

Localising knowledge generation during a pandemic to make distributions safer article cover page

 

Localising knowledge generation during a pandemic to make distributions safer

Co-authored with our Empowered Aid Lebanon partners URDA and CARE, our latest article is published in the Humanitarian Practice Network's Humanitarian Exchange's May issue on Localisation and local humanitarian action. It shares reflections from Jihan Kaisi and Rosy Haddad, Executive Director and Public Relations Officer (respectively) with the Union of Relief and Development Associations (URDA), a Lebanese NGO; Loujine Fattal, Empowered Aid Lebanon Research Manager with CARE in Lebanon; and Alina Potts, Empowered Aid Primary Investigator, of GWI. They reflect on localization in humanitarian research and knowledge generation processes during the COVID-19 pandemic, using our Empowered Aid work in Lebanon as a case study. This article was also an opportunity to support local partners in publishing for the first time, as lead authors--an important aspect of centering local knowledge and decolonising research processes.

 
 

Empowered Aid in Uganda

 

Article Title Page: Empowered Aid: Reducing Risks of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Fuel and Firewood Distribution

 

Empowered Aid: Participatory action research with refugee women & girls to better prevent sexual exploitation & abuse | Uganda Country Report

This report shares findings from the first phase of Empowered Aid in Uganda around risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in relation to food, WASH, shelter, and fuel & firewood, throughout the distribution process. It is based on rigorous, longitudinal qualitative research with women and girls living in Bidi Bidi and Imvepi refugee settlements in Uganda. The report also summarizes findings related to other types of distribution-related gender-based violence. It provides targeted, action-oriented recommendations to make aid distributions safer for women and girls, grounded in their own voices

 

 

Article Title Page: Empowered Aid: Reducing Risks of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Fuel and Firewood Distribution

 

Empowered Aid: Participatory action research with refugee women & girls to better prevent sexual exploitation & abuse | Uganda Policy Brief

This brief shares findings from the first phase of Empowered Aid in Uganda around risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in relation to food, WASH, shelter, and fuel & firewood, throughout the distribution process. It is based on rigorous, longitudinal qualitative research with women and girls living in Bidi Bidi and Imvepi refugee settlements in Uganda. It provides targeted, action-oriented recommendations to make aid distributions safer for women and girls, grounded in their own voices.

Empowered Aid: Participatory action research with refugee women & girls to better prevent sexual exploitation & abuse | Uganda Sector-Specific Briefs:

 

Empowered Aid in Lebanon

 

 

 

Cover Page: Empowered Aid: Transforming Gender and Power Dynamics in the Delivery of Humanitarian Aid

 

Empowered Aid: Transforming Gender and Power Dynamics in the Delivery of Humanitarian Aid | Lebanon Country Report

This report shares findings from the first phase of Empowered Aid in Lebanon around risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in relation to food, WASH, shelter, and cash assistance, throughout the distribution process. It is based on rigorous, longitudinal qualitative research with women and girls living in an urban refugee context in Tripoli, Lebanon. The report also summarizes findings related to other types of distribution-related gender-based violence. It provides targeted, action-oriented recommendations to make aid distributions safer for women and girls, grounded in their own voices.

 

 

 

Brief Cover Page: Empowered Aid: Reducing Risks of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Aid Distribution Lebanon Policy Brief

 

Empowered Aid: Participatory action research with refugee women & girls to better prevent sexual exploitation & abuse | Lebanon Policy Brief

This brief shares findings from the first phase of Empowered Aid in Lebanon around risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in relation to food, WASH, shelter, and cash assistance, throughout the distribution process. It is based on rigorous, longitudinal qualitative research with women and girls living in an urban refugee context in Tripoli, Lebanon. It provides targeted, action-oriented recommendations to make aid distributions safer for women and girls, grounded in their own voices.

 

Empowered Aid: Participatory action research with refugee women & girls to better prevent sexual exploitation & abuse | Lebanon Sector-Specific Briefs: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the manuals and tools we developed through Empowered Aid are shared here to allow for further adaptation and use by community-based organizations, NGOs, and others interested in participatory action research and safe, ethical data collection around SEA. If you have any questions or would like to discuss collaborations, please do not hesitate to contact us!

 

Empowered Aid Uganda: Food Distribution, Pilot 1: Summary of Point of Distribution Questionnaire Findings Cover

 

Empowered Aid Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions

This toolkit applies findings and recommendations shared by women and girls from participatory research on how to reduce sexual exploitation and abuse in aid distribution. The distribution monitoring tools contained in this toolkit have been modified to better account for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) risks. The Toolkit includes four adapted distribution monitoring tools: a (1) a safety audit or observational monitoring tool, (2) a point of distribution questionnaire, (3) household survey, and (4) a focus group discussion tool with guidance on how to plan, train, collect data, and conduct analysis using the adapted tools. These tools can be used to proactively identify and address known barriers and risks for SEA that inhibit aid distributions from being safe for women and girls. A shared drive of additional resources and templates to support toolkit users is available at https://gwu.box.com/v/eamonitoringtoolkitannex.

The Toolkit and accompanying shared drive files are now available in Arabic, French, and Spanish.

 

 

Toolkit Training for Humanitarian Practitioners Cover

 

Toolkit Training for Humanitarian Practitioners

This training guide is accompanies the Empowered Aid Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions, training humanitarian practitioners how to utilize the tools, design safer distributions, and reduce the risk of SEA associated with distributions. Click here to view the accompanying slideshow. This training guide and PowerPoint presentation can also be accessed through the Toolkit shared drive: https://gwu.app.box.com/folder/139474683898?s=8b9cfloeemunjqd6gwrbae1ioss7vwse

 

PSEA Training for Transport Drivers Working in Aid Distribution Cover

 

PSEA Training for Transport Drivers Working in Aid Distribution

This training guides outlines specific ways in which humanitarian actors can provide PSEA training for transport drivers. The aim of conducting this training is to increase the understanding of SEA posed to aid recipients related to transportation. Click here to view the day one and day two presentations for this training guide. This training guide and PowerPoint presentation can also be accessed through the Toolkit shared drive: https://gwu.app.box.com/folder/139474683898?s=8b9cfloeemunjqd6gwrbae1ioss7vwse

 

 

 

Empowered Aid Research Reflection Workshop Facilitation Guide

 

Empowered Aid Research Reflection Workshop Facilitation Guide

The Reflection Workshop facilitation guide outlines processes for holding space to reflect and share feedback on the research process. These workshops were conducted halfway through the qualitative fieldwork, providing the opportunity for the research team to adjust the process as needed and in response to feedback from women, girls, and humanitarian staff’s feedback.

 

 

Empowered Aid Webinar Launch: Online Course Event Flyer

 

Empowered Aid Webinar Launch: Online Course

On October 12, 2021, The Empowered Aid team held a virtual launch of the new online course to mitigate risks of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in aid distributions, which you can watch the live recording of here. The course aims to help learners gain a better understanding of SEA risks and shares recommendations and tools to mitigate them, drawn from Empowered Aid’s participatory action research with refugee women and girls in Uganda and Lebanon over the last three years. Interactive case studies, quizzes, and video interviews share Empowered Aid’s findings, recommendations, and participatory processes for listening to women and girls, and increasing their safety by putting their words into action. In the webinar, our multi-country team who co-designed the course shared “sneak peeks,” demonstrated course features, and hosted a Q&A. If you are interested in enrolling in the course, visit the Course webpage.

Speakers:

GWI: Alina Potts (PI), Research Scientist, Elizabeth Hedge,

Uganda:  Hope Harriet, Empowered Aid Research Manager, Brian Matsiko, MEAL Officer, & Fred Nyero, Gender and Protection Officer, General Food Assistance, World Vision

Lebanon:  Loujine Fattal, Empowered Aid Research Manager & Tala Chammas, Empowered Aid Project Officer, CARE Lebanon

 
 

 

Empowered Aid Animated Video of the Phase 2 Pilot Findings to Mitigate SEA in Lebanon

 

Empowered Aid Animated Video of the Phase 2 Pilot Findings to Mitigate SEA in Lebanon 

The Empowered Aid Lebanon team in CARE International in Lebanon with the support of the GWI team developed an animated video to summarize the findings of the Phase II aid distribution pilots implemented in partnership with Union of Relief & Development Associations (URDA) in Lebanon. The animated video is an example of how to communicate back findings visually and creatively with women, girls, and affected communities, in which literacy may be a barrier.


Video Citation: Karim Koleilat, Independent animator, and CARE International in Lebanon. Beirut: Lebanon.

 

 

Findings on how to adapt M&E systems to mitigate SEA risk event poster

 

Webinar Launch of the Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions 

In July 2021, the Global Women's Institute (GWI) hosted a virtual launch of the Empowered Aid Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions. This toolkit is based on six pilots conducted in Lebanon and Uganda by GWI and partners CARE and URDA in Lebanon, and IRC and World Vision in Uganda. You can watch the full recording, with team members from GWI and partners in both countries who review the contents of the toolkit, share case studies of using it, and host a Q&A with practitioners and researchers on how to further adapt and apply it. The team provided written answers to the questions during the Q&A portion of the webinar, which can be accessed here.

The Toolkit for Planning and Monitoring Safer Aid Distributions can be found under the “Manuals and Toolkits” tab, and a shared drive of additional resources and templates to support toolkit users is available at https://gwu.box.com/s/8b9cfloeemunjqd6gwrbae1ioss7vwse.

Speakers:

GWI: Alina Potts (PI), Research Scientist, Elizabeth Hedge, Empowered Aid Research Associate, & Amelia Reese Masterson, Empowered Aid Research Consultant

Lebanon partners: Loujine Fattal, Empowered Aid Research Manager & Tala Chammas, Empowered Aid Project Officer, CARE Lebanon

Uganda partners: Hope Harriet, Empowered Aid Research Manager, & Fatuma Nafish, Empowered Aid Project Officer, IRC; Godfrey Twesigye, MEAL Coordinator,  Brian Matsiko, MEAL Officer, & Fred Nyero, Gender and Protection Officer, General Food Assistance, World Vision

 

 

 

Research: Let's make it safe! flyer

 

Research: Let's make it safe!

Empowered Aid's Primary Investigator Alina Potts, alongside Empowered Aid Lebanon Research Officer Tala Chammas, recently participated in a webinar organized by the UK Government's  Safeguarding Resource & Support Hub (RSH). Through this webinar, participants were able to understand and consider what needs to be in place specifically when making research, programs, and monitoring and evaluation safe for both participants and researchers. Alina and Tala share their own experiences on the ground in both Uganda and Lebanon and explore in what ways Empowered Aid utilizes various participatory methodologies in relation to training and risk management, especially given the sensitivity of sexual exploitation, abuse, and sexual harassment (SEAH) in the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar recording can be accessed here, as well as follow along the Q&A and presentation slides here.

 

 

 

Advocating for Victims' Rights in the United Nations: A Conversation with Jane Connors event poster

 

Advocating for Victims' Rights in the United Nations: A Conversation with Jane Connors

Moderated by GW’s Alina Potts, Global Women’s Institute, & Ramin Asgary, Humanitarian Health Program, with a student-led Q&A

The Global Women’s Institute and GWU Humanitarian Health Program at the Milken Institute School of Public Health hosted the United Nation’s first Victim’s Rights Advocate Jane Connors in a conversation on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse in the humanitarian sector and centering victim’s rights in its approach. The Question & Answer portion was hosted by students from the George Washington University, engaging Ms. Connors on challenges, solutions, and next steps for her role and office. You can watch the recording here and for more information on the speakers, click here. 

 

 

Powerpoint title slide: Are You Listening? It's Not Just A Few Bad Apples:  Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) In The Humanitarian Sector

 

Are You Listening? It's Not Just A Few Bad Apples:  Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) In The Humanitarian Sector

Alongside colleagues in the humanitarian aid sector, GWI Research Scientist Alina Potts discussed the implications of continuous and widespread sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) from within the humanitarian aid sector. Utilizing her decade-long experience as a GBV practitioner and key findings from Empowered Aid, Alina asserts the importance in developing and implementing feminist-centered policy change in order to give women and girls a sustained voice and power in the aid system. Key topics discussed include lack of accountability in the aid sector, a dearth of female representation in positions of power, and the need to shift to a transformative, feminist approach. You can watch the video here.

 

 

Powerpoint title slide: Shifting power to refugee women and girls: using feminist participatory action research in humanitarian crises

 

Shifting power to refugee women and girls: using feminist participatory action research in humanitarian crises

Empowered Aid’s Principal Investigator, Alina Potts, and Uganda Research Manager for Phase 1, Harriet Kolli, joined the University of Cambridge Network for Participatory and Collaborative Research Methods to talk about “Shifting Power to Refugee Women and Girls: Using Feminist Participatory Action Research in Humanitarian Crises”, based on Empowered Aid’s participatory action research in Uganda and Lebanon. You can watch the video here.

 

 

UK Parliament House of Commons homepage screen

 

Empowered Aid Findings presented at the UK Parliament House of Commons Oral Evidence Session on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the Aid Sector

GWI Research Scientist Alina Potts served as a witness in the UK Parliament International Development Committee’s first oral evidence session on sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector. Alina delivered oral evidence to the committee members from her experience as an aid worker across emergency responses from DR Congo to Syria to Bangladesh, and shared the voices of Syrian and South Sudanese women and girls engaged in Empowered Aid's action research in Uganda and Lebanon. Key aspects of the conversation centered on the importance of contextual safeguarding to prevent SEA before it happens, and addressing the unequal power dynamics and lack of participation across the sector which underpin this type of abuse. The video and audio recordings are available here and the transcript is available here.

 

 

Grand Bargain Cash Worksteam powerpoint slide

 

Empowered Aid Findings on cash assistance contribute to Grand Bargain Cash Workstream #GenderCash Conversation

On the second day of the Grand Bargain Cash Workstream meetings, GWI Research Scientist Alina Potts joined practitioners, funders and researchers from CARE, BPRM, the Women’s Refugee Commission and Oxfam for a conversation on how aid actors can further reduce GBV risks in cash and voucher assistance for women and girls. You can watch the video here, and read more about Empowered Aid’s cash findings in Lebanon here. 

 

 

Empowered Aid: Transforming Gender and Power Dynamics in the Delivery of Humanitarian Aid Webinar Flyer with date, details and speaker titles including a photo of women participating a research activity

 

Empowered Aid Webinar: Phase 1 Results & Recommendations Launch

In honor of World Refugee Day 2020, the Global Women's Institute (GWI) hosted a webinar launch sharing Empowered Aid's Phase I findings and recommendations on reducing risks of sexual exploitation and abuse when accessing humanitarian aid in Lebanon and Uganda. You can watch the full recording with the Empowered Aid team, including the presentation and Q&A discussion.

The full reports and other resources mentioned are available on this web page under the "Reports, policy briefs and articles" and "Manuals and toolkits" tabs.  

Speakers
GWI: Alina Potts (PI), Research Scientist & Elizabeth Hedge, Empowered Aid Research Associate
CARE International in Lebanon: Loujine Fattal, Empowered Aid Research Manager & Farah Hallak, Empowered Aid Project Officer
IRC Uganda: Harriet Kolli, Empowered Aid Research Manager & Fatuma Nafish, Empowered Aid Project Officer

Please note: The audio of our Uganda project officer, Fatuma Nafish, is a bit difficult to hear; it is captioned however you can also watch Fatuma speak here. You will have the option to turn on closed captions.

 

 

 

Women's Protection and Empowerment Soundcloud page logo with Empowered Aid

 

Women's Protection and Empowerment Podcast: Empowered Aid

Since its magnitude first came to light in 2002, the aid community’s focus on addressing sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) has primarily rested on establishing reporting mechanisms and only recently shifted toward proactive measures to mitigate risk and prevent such abuses from occurring. In this episode, Alina Potts of the Global Women's Institute, Harriet Kolli of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Uganda, and Loujine Fattal of CARE Lebanon, discuss Empowered Aid: Transforming gender and power dynamics in the delivery of humanitarian aid on an episode of Women's Protection and Empowerment podcast.