BARN OCH KVINNOR

1. Introduction

Barn och Kvinnor Organisation is a fully registered Christian organisation led by women and registered in both Uganda and Sweden, with active operations in Uganda and Kenya. We believe that every marginalised child and woman has the right to a dignified life devoid of injury, exploitation, and injustice.

Our major purpose is to enhance the rights, welfare, and dignity of vulnerable children, especially those with disabilities and HIV, as well as vulnerable women, by encouraging them to exercise their full human rights and enjoy lives of safety, opportunity, and self-determination. In pursuing this goal, we are guided by the Do No Harm principle, which requires us to prevent, mitigate, and respond to any negative impact that may result from our initiatives, people, or partnerships.

Solidarity is a basic principle that guides our work at Barn och Kvinnor – a culture of genuine care, alliance, and accompaniment that prioritises the voices and well-being of people we serve.

2. Our Safeguarding Commitments

Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation makes the following commitments as the foundation of this policy:

• Protection without exception. Every child, woman, beneficiary, volunteer, and partner is protected from harm, abuse, and exploitation regardless of age, gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, or nationality.
• Zero tolerance. The Organisation maintains an absolute zero-tolerance position towards harassment, exploitation, bullying and all forms of abuse. Every reported concern will be taken seriously and responded to promptly.
• A culture of dignity. The Organisation builds and sustains a culture in which all people are treated with fairness, respect and dignity, and in which language and behaviour that alienates, demeans or harms any person is never acceptable.
• Continuous improvement. The Organisation reviews and strengthens its safeguarding practices on an ongoing basis and communicates openly with donors, partners and stakeholders about its safeguarding performance.
• Safe recruitment. The Organisation employs and engages only those whose conduct and background are consistent with its values, and takes all necessary steps to prevent known perpetrators of abuse from joining or re-joining the Organisation.
• Rigorous screening. All personnel are screened and required to understand this Policy, sign the Safeguarding Commitment Declaration, and comply with the Organisation's code of conduct.
• Safe partnerships. Thorough safeguarding due diligence is conducted before entering into any partnership. All partnership agreements include a mandatory safeguarding clause.

3. Scope — Who This Policy Applies To

This policy is binding upon all of the following:

• All Board members of Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation.
• All volunteers, including short-term, long-term, and international volunteers.
• All interns, students on placement, and individuals on secondment.
• All partner organisations and their personnel who work alongside the Organisation on any programme or activity.
• All visitors to the Organisation's activities, communities or programme sites.
• All contractors, consultants, service providers and sub-grantees engaged by or on behalf of the Organisation.

This policy applies to all activities of the Organisation, including hospital outreach, home visits, community distribution events, disability outreach, education support, awareness campaigns, social media communications and donor engagement.

4. Policy Statement

Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation operates with zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) perpetrated by any personnel or affiliate. Safeguarding is not a compliance exercise — it is an expression of the Organisation's deepest values and its most fundamental obligation to the communities it serves.

This policy is grounded in the Organisation's Christian commitment to the dignity and worth of every human being. It reflects the recognition that children with disabilities, orphans, newborns born with HIV, widows, single mothers and women in poverty face compounded vulnerabilities, and that the Organisation's direct and sustained presence in their lives creates both a privilege and a duty of care that must be honoured without compromise.

The Organisation affirms that safeguarding is the shared responsibility of every person who acts on its behalf. No individual, regardless of their seniority or length of service, is exempt from the requirements of this policy.

5. Safeguarding Principles

• Empowerment: Children, women and vulnerable individuals are supported to understand their rights, make informed decisions and play an active role in their own protection.
• Prevention: Proactive action is taken to identify and eliminate safeguarding risks before harm can occur. Prevention is always preferable to response.
• Proportionality: All responses to safeguarding concerns are proportionate and appropriate to the nature and severity of the risk, prioritising the safety and needs of the survivor.
• Protection: Survivors and those at risk receive appropriate support, care and representation. Access to psychosocial, medical, and legal assistance is facilitated where needed.
• Partnership: The Organisation collaborates with communities, implementing partners and relevant authorities to create safe environments and ensure consistent standards across all activities.
• Accountability: All safeguarding actions are transparent, documented and subject to review. The Organisation is accountable to donors, partners, communities and, above all, to the people it serves.
• Survivor-Centred Approach: The survivor's voice, safety, wishes and best interests are placed at the centre of all safeguarding decisions and processes.
• Confidentiality: All safeguarding information is handled with strict confidentiality, shared only on a need-to-know basis to the extent necessary to protect persons at risk.

6. Standards of Behaviour

These standards apply to all personnel of Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation in all settings, including hospital outreach, home visits, community events, disability programmes, education activities and online communications.

6a. Expected Behaviours

• Treat every beneficiary, community member, partner, and fellow volunteer with dignity, respect, and care at all times.
• Maintain environments during all activities that are safe, welcoming, and free from harassment or exploitation.
• Ensure that all communications — in person and on digital platforms including social media — are respectful, appropriate and consistent with the Organisation's values.
• Comply with Ugandan data protection legislation and the Organisation's consent and privacy requirements when handling personal information about beneficiaries.
• Obtain informed and voluntary consent from beneficiaries and from parents or guardians of children before sharing, photographing or publicising any personal information or images.
• Report immediately any known or suspected safeguarding incident or breach of this policy to the Safeguarding Lead or Board Chairperson.
• Identify and facilitate access to support services — including psychosocial care, medical assistance or legal referral — for persons who have experienced or are at risk of harm.
• Honour all organisational commitments and operate in full compliance with the policies and guidelines of Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation.

6b. Prohibited Behaviours

• Using language or engaging in behaviour that is abusive, degrading, humiliating or offensive, including language that shames, belittles or undermines a person's dignity.
• Condoning or participating in any illegal, unsafe, or abusive conduct, including harmful cultural or traditional practices.
• Exchanging money, goods, services, or any form of assistance for sexual favours or engaging in any other exploitative arrangement involving beneficiaries.
• Entering into any sexual or romantic relationship with a beneficiary. Such relationships are always prohibited due to the inherent power imbalance and the fundamental damage they cause to the Organisation's credibility and integrity.
• Photographing, filming or recording beneficiaries — particularly children — without prior informed consent and in any manner that could exploit, endanger or demean them.
• Engaging a child in any form of labour or activity not in their best interests or inconsistent with Ugandan law and international child rights standards.
• Misusing, sharing, or disclosing personal information about any beneficiary, volunteer, or partner without proper authorisation and consent.
• Remaining silent about, or in any way enabling or facilitating, any safeguarding incident or breach of this policy.

7. Safeguarding Committee — Roles and Responsibilities

This policy establishes a Safeguarding Committee. Given that Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation currently operates with no paid staff, the Committee is constituted by designated Board members. The Board Chairperson serves as the Safeguarding Lead. The Committee shall consist of no fewer than three Board members.

Responsibilities of the Safeguarding Committee

• Lead assessments of all safeguarding concerns brought to its attention, applying survivor-centred and trauma-informed criteria.
• Conduct enquiries into safeguarding incidents in a manner that minimises distress to survivors, witnesses and those reporting concerns.
• Establish and maintain clear whistleblowing procedures, regularly communicated to all personnel, partners, and beneficiaries.
• Develop escalation procedures for situations where concerns are not being adequately addressed internally.
• Ascertain the needs and wishes of complainants and survivors and analyse evidence to determine the most appropriate and proportionate response.
• Facilitate access to support — including psychosocial referrals, medical care and legal assistance — for any person who has experienced harm.
• Ensure all safeguarding allegations are thoroughly examined, risk-assessed and referred to the relevant authorities where required.
• Conduct all investigations in a timely, professional, confidential, and gender-sensitive manner.
• Provide regular safeguarding awareness to all Board members, volunteers, and partners.
• Conduct annual safeguarding audits and maintain an up-to-date safeguarding risk register.

8. Reporting a Safeguarding Concern

Employees, clients, women, children, and vulnerable groups who know about, suspect, or witness a safeguarding concern are required to report it to our charity committee via info@barnochkvinnor.org.

You do not need to be certain that harm has occurred — a reasonable concern is sufficient. Reporting is an act of care, not an accusation, and all reports will be treated seriously and confidentially.

How to Report

• Primary channel: Report directly to the Board Chairperson / Safeguarding Lead in person, by telephone or by email.
• If the concern involves the Board Chairperson: Report to the Vice President.
• Anonymous reporting: You may report anonymously. Anonymous reports will still be assessed and acted upon, though follow-up may be limited.
• External reporting: Where a concern involves a possible criminal offence, it must be reported to the relevant authorities in Uganda or Kenya. Any person may report directly to law enforcement if they believe immediate safety is at risk.

The Reporting Process

1. Provide InformationSubmit the concern to the Safeguarding Lead. Include as much detail as possible — what happened, when, where, and who was involved. You may remain anonymous if you wish.
2. AssessmentThe Safeguarding Committee reviews the concern to determine what information is needed and whether a formal investigation is required. All information is strictly confidential.
3. Case ManagementThe Committee decides whether to open a formal investigation, refer the matter externally, or take immediate protective action.
4. OutcomeA conclusion is reached and protective or corrective measures are implemented to ensure the safety of all parties.
5. Case ClosedAll relevant parties are informed of the outcome. The case file is securely stored by the Safeguarding Lead.

9. Recruitment and Onboarding

Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation is committed to safe recruitment practices for all Board members, volunteers and any future staff. The following standards apply:

• All prospective Board members and volunteers are required to complete the Safeguarding Self-Declaration Form before joining the Organisation.
• Background checks and reference verification will be conducted for all individuals whose roles involve direct contact with children or vulnerable adults.
• All newly onboarded Board members and volunteers receive a safeguarding induction before engaging in any programme activity.
• All personnel are required to sign the Safeguarding Commitment Declaration and to abide by the Organisation's code of conduct.
• All formal agreements, partnership contracts, and volunteer undertakings contain a safeguarding clause.
• No person with a known record of child abuse, sexual exploitation or harm to vulnerable persons shall hold any position within or act on behalf of the Organisation.

10. Partnerships

Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation maintains rigorous safeguarding standards across all partnership arrangements, consistent with its Partnership Policy.

• Before entering any new partnership or renewing an existing one, the Organisation conducts safeguarding due diligence to assess the partner's standards for keeping people safe.
• All prospective partners are informed of this Safeguarding Policy and required to commit to upholding its standards as a condition of partnership.
• All Memoranda of Understanding and partnership agreements include a mandatory safeguarding clause.
• Failure by a partner to take appropriate safeguarding measures, investigate reported incidents or take corrective action shall constitute grounds for immediate suspension or termination of the partnership agreement.

11. Publication, Consent and Data Protection

Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation is committed to portraying the children, women, and communities it serves with accuracy, truthfulness, and full respect for their dignity. Images and stories are powerful tools for advocacy and resource mobilisation — and with that power comes a duty of care that the Organisation takes seriously.

• All photographs, videos, and written content published in print, online, or on social media must provide a truthful and dignified representation of those depicted.
• Informed written consent must be obtained from all adult beneficiaries before any personal information, image, or story is used by the Organisation.
• Where the subject of any publication is a child, written consent must be obtained from the parent or legal guardian before any content is published or shared.
• Consent must be given freely, with full understanding of how the content will be used, who will see it and the person's right to withdraw consent at any time.
• All personal and sensitive beneficiary data held by the Organisation must be password-protected or encrypted. Physical documents are stored securely. Data is not shared with third parties without explicit consent.
• The Organisation retains personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

12. Programming

All programmes and activities delivered by Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation are designed and implemented in a manner that actively protects staff, volunteers, beneficiaries and communities from any risk of harm that may arise from contact with the Organisation's work.

• Where any programme or activity involves children — including disability outreach, hospital ministry, education support, food distribution and community events — consent is sought from parents, guardians or caregivers before their participation.
• All activities actively promote the safety, dignity, and inclusion of vulnerable groups, including children with disabilities, persons living with HIV, orphans, widows, and the elderly.
• A safeguarding risk assessment is conducted for every programme, project, and research activity, and appropriate mitigation measures are identified and implemented.
• Survivor support provisions — including access to emergency funds for shelter, medical care, transport and food where applicable — are built into all relevant project budgets.
• The Organisation implements staff and volunteer wellness initiatives, including access to psychosocial support where needed.

13. Visitors

All visitors to Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation's activities, programme sites or communities must sign the Safeguarding Commitment Declaration before engaging in any activity.

• Visitors who wish to interact with beneficiaries must give prior notice to the Board Chairperson or Safeguarding Lead.
• All visitors must be accompanied by a Board member or designated volunteer at all times during any interaction with beneficiaries.
• Visitors may not photograph, film or record beneficiaries without the prior written consent of the Safeguarding Lead and the individual concerned (or their guardian, if a child).

14. Policy Review

This policy will be formally reviewed by the Board of Directors at least every two years, or sooner in the event of a significant change in the Organisation's operations, legal context or governance structure. Any substantive amendment must be approved by the full Board and communicated to all personnel, partners, and donors. All personnel will be required to re-sign the Safeguarding Commitment Declaration following any material revision.

This policy was adopted by the Board of Directors of Barn Och Kvinnor Organisation in 2025.

Annex 1 — Definitions