Protection, Gender and Inclusion

For the IFRC to remain true to our principles, we must ensure we reach all people effectively and in a non-discriminatory and equitable manner. Our work must ensure dignity, access, participation and safety for all people affected by disasters and crises.

What is protection, gender and inclusion?

Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) describes the IFRC's approach and way of working to address the causes, risks and consequences of violence, discrimination and exclusion in an integrated way.

People affected by disasters can have very different experiences. A person’s sex, gender identity, age, physical ability, race, nationality and many other factors can influence how they are vulnerable to, and affected by disasters, conflicts and crises. They can also affect how they respond and recover.

Emergencies can also make existing inequalities worse. This can be seen in the increase in incidences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), violence against children and trafficking in human beings during and after emergencies.

Protection means addressing violence and keeping people safe from harm.
Gender and diversity is about addressing discrimination and understanding people's different needs, risks and capacities
Inclusion means actively addressing exclusion by meaningfully involving and engaging excluded people in our work.

Our work

The IFRC considers issues of protection, gender and inclusion in everything we do.

At the heart of the PGI approach is an analysis of how each individual is affected differently by shocks and crises. We respond to these shocks by jointly addressing risks of violence, discrimination, and exclusion. Examples of this work include:

making sure women and girls have access to safe menstrual hygiene resources during emergencies
ensuring that facilities, goods and services are easily accessible for all people
taking special measures around physical, economic and information access and addressing any issues of discrimination

We also run specialized programmes that aim to protect and include people, such as child protection, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response and anti-trafficking initiatives, and social inclusion initiatives for marginalized groups.

Principles guiding our PGI work

Human dignity means respect for the life and integrity of individuals. All our operations and programmes should contribute to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity.

Emergency response programmes should provide access for all individuals and sub-groups within a population. The support we provide must be informed by a gender and diversity analysis to make sure our assistance reaches those most at risk.

People should be fully, equally and meaningfully involved in decision-making processes and activities that affect their lives. Sharing of information is essential for accountability to, and the participation of, the people we support.

People of all gender identities, ages and backgrounds within affected communities have different physical safety needs. Monitoring the safety of project sites from the perspectives of diverse groups ensures we meet everyone’s needs and concerns in an equitable way.

Discover how these principles apply to our work

Minimum standards for PGI in emergencies

Emergencies exacerbate existing gender inequalities, and the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), violence against children and trafficking in human beings often increase during and after emergencies. These standards are to be used by all Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers, and as a key reference for partners and other stakeholders interested in the IFRC’s approach to Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI)issues.

Disability inclusion

One billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. We are increasing participation of persons with disabilities in our work and promoting disability-inclusive practices.

Sexual and gender-based violence

Disasters cause stress in families and communities, and this can often result in a higher level of sexual and gender-based violence.

Do no harm

The IFRC is deeply committed to creating a safe, respectful and dignified environment for the communities we serve and for all our volunteers and staff.