Trends in Sexual exploitation, Abuse & Harassment in the Aid Sector: a six-month overview
Explore the key insights and trends uncovered through CHS Alliance’s Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) Harmonised Reporting Scheme, supported by UK FCDO.
SEAH continues to pose significant challenges within the aid sector, undermining the integrity and effectiveness of humanitarian and development efforts, violating the do no harm principle and going against the very purpose of the sector’s commitment to serve affected communities. To reduce risks,prevent incidents, and respond effectively, the aid sector must have evidence that highlights critical vulnerabilities and permissive settings, in order to guide its actions to stop SEAH.
This comprehensive report delves into the findings from six months of data on reported SEAH incidents, providing valuable evidence to inform and improve policies, strategies, and actions for better SEAH risk mitigation, prevention, and response. The report also presents challenges and lessons learned shared by Scheme members on the complexity of handling SEAH incidents with limited resources and in volatile contexts, as well as a call to action for leaders, donors, funders, and PSEAH Networks.
This report covers the period from October 1st , 2023, to March 31st , 2024, during which a total of 169 incidents were reported through the SEAH HRS. This report, and an infographic overview, is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic (report only.)
Key findings include:
It is important to note that despite these efforts , under-reporting of SEAH remains a persistent issue. Aid organisations participating of the SEAH HRS only represent a small fraction of the myriad of organisations operating within the sector. Consequently , this report is not intended to be representative of the sector-wide trends of SEAH, nor does it claim to encompass the total incidence or prevalence of these issues across the sector. However, the trends identified in this report provide a valuable foundation for understanding key issues and identifying effective starting points for intervention.