Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment

Name: Bright Labs
Price range: $

The Australian Volunteers Program is committed to safeguarding all vulnerable adults.

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Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

Fundamental to the operation of Australian Volunteers Program is respect for the dignity and basic human rights of everyone who is connected with the program including beneficiary communities, program participants, partner organisations and staff.

Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) are violations of basic human rights and inherently based on inequal power dynamics where there is the potential for abuse of power.

Preventing SEAH and protecting vulnerable adults against the risks of SEAH is a shared responsibly. Everyone is responsible for championing good practice, adopting a survivor-centred approach and ensuring all SEAH allegations are responded to and reported.

The Australian Volunteers Program has a zero-tolerance approach to all allegations and incidents of SEAH, and all allegations or concerns are taken seriously and responded to immediately. We actively respond to allegations of SEAH so that it is safe for those affected to come forward and report incidents and concerns with the assurance they will be handled sensitively and appropriately

The Australian Volunteers Program understands that SEAH is not a straightforward issue and there are local context and nuances to consider. We work collaboratively with our partners to improve our shared understanding and have developed a tool kit to strengthen of safeguarding practices together. The toolkit provides resources for partner organisations and communities to collaborate and enhance safeguarding measures.