The purpose of this policy is to set out the approach of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to addressing issues of protection, gender and inclusion (PGI). It demonstrates the IFRC network’s commitment to preventing, mitigating, and responding to violence, discrimination, and exclusion through strengthening its institutional capacity, through programmes and operations, and through advocacy, partnerships and collaboration.
The policy strengthens and clarifies the unique value of the work of the IFRC network in this area, through individual National Society’s action and through IFRC Secretariat support. It also serves as a basis to strengthen complementarity of roles and approaches related to protection between all National Societies, the IFRC, the ICRC , other humanitarian actors and governments.
The PGI approach is a key support to the IFRC, meeting the three goals and overall aim of Strategy 2030 of “devoting particular attention to people who are vulnerable, excluded or marginalised”. It is also a core element of the IFRC’s priority of promoting Values, Power and Inclusion, and the enablers of Engagement, Accountability and Trust as articulated through the IFRC secretariat’s Agenda for Renewal. This policy is informed by and builds on many existing IFRC and Movement policies, strategies and frameworks.