By Atlantic Reports

The Centre for the Advancement and Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable People (CAPRIGHTS-VP) has held a staff capacity-building workshop following board approval of its updated safeguarding policy.

The session took place in Lagos on Tuesday and focused on implementing the organisation’s Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) Policy across its programmes and activities.

CAPRIGHTS-VP Executive Director Clara Kanu and Vivian Emesowum, Executive Director of the Grassroot People and Gender Development Centre, facilitated the workshop.

Kanu said safeguarding was a fundamental responsibility, particularly for organisations working with women, girls, children and other vulnerable groups.

She said exploitation, abuse and harassment threatened people’s dignity, safety and rights while undermining trust in organisations established to support them.

“Safeguarding requires more than the existence of a policy; it requires organisational commitment, staff awareness, clear accountability and consistent application of established standards,” she said.

Staff Responsibilities and Accountability

Kanu said the revised policy provided a framework for preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment while clarifying staff responsibilities.

The workshop aimed to improve awareness and support consistent application of those standards.

Emesowum stressed that safeguarding was a shared responsibility for all staff, rather than a duty belonging only to management.

She said regular reviews were necessary to keep policies responsive to changing risks and the needs of communities receiving support.

She linked safeguarding to CAPRIGHTS-VP’s wider work in community engagement, advocacy, education, legal support and empowerment, particularly for women and girls facing discrimination and violence.

Putting Protection into Practice

Emesowum said everyone engaging with the organisation’s programmes and services deserved dignity, respect and protection from exploitation, abuse and harassment.

The policy approval and workshop represent steps towards strengthening that protection. However, the supplied account did not explain how participants could report concerns, how complaints would be handled or what measures would protect complainants from retaliation.

Those arrangements will be important in translating staff awareness into accessible protection for the people the organisation serves. The effectiveness of the revised policy will depend on consistent implementation, clear reporting channels and accountability when concerns arise.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.