What is it like to be a PSEA coordinator?

What is the role of an inter-agency Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Coordinator? What are key challenges PSEA Coordinators face in high-risk contexts to implement programs on this sensitive issue? What has inspired them to do this work, what have they learned, and what tips can they share with us?

In this 8-minute video, 7 seasoned PSEA Coordinators working in Cox’s Bazar (Rohingya response), Syria cross-border, Yemen, DRC, Myanmar, Mali, and Somalia share their experiences. The video, in English with subtitles, shows us why the inter-agency PSEA Coordinators are passionate about their jobs. One of the Coordinators proudly explains: “Especially the work we do here with communities and involving them at every stage in the response, is rewarding.” Another Coordinator shares: “Providing resources to communities in the field, fostering trust, and facilitating community discussions around SEA, is essential.”

While the role of the PSEA Coordinator at country level has only existed for a couple of years, it has proven indispensable to reduce the risk of SEA from happening across programs. At the same time, the Coordinator role is a catalyst in making sure that organizations are learning from each other. The video highlights the main challenges that PSEA coordinators have faced within their role, when engaging leadership, clusters, communities, government actors, and many other stakeholders. “Turning the existing policy that exists on paper, into practice, has been the most difficult”, according to one of the Coordinators. The video also focuses on the creative solutions they have found along the way. One PSEA Coordinator revealed that the capacities of different PSEA Focal Points within the Network were so vastly different, one of her solutions was to foster peer learning among Focal Points. One thing is certain: all of the Coordinators in the video are passionate to fight for PSEA in every space with every stakeholder and to take any opportunity to convince others to help eradicate this injustice.