Embedding Safeguarding and Inclusion in All Actions

In today’s global development landscape, rights-based, inclusive, and ethical practices are not optional; rather, they are imperative. Safeguarding and inclusion must not be treated as a checklist or a risk-mitigation step.

They are core ethical commitments that should be embedded across the entire program ecosystem—from planning and implementation to evaluation and accountability.

Whether in education, health, housing, livelihoods, or emergency response, every program must prioritize the dignity, rights, safety, and meaningful participation of all individuals, especially those from vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Looking at the legal and policy foundations in Nepal, although the term “safeguarding” may not always appear explicitly in Nepal’s legal lexicon, its core principles are deeply embedded across a wide range of constitutional and statutory provisions.

The Constitution of Nepal (2015) enshrines safeguarding and inclusion through several key articles. For example, Article 18 is about the ‘Right to Equality,’ Article 38 is about the ‘Rights of Women,’ Article 39 talks about the ‘Rights of Children,’ Article 40 is about the ‘Rights of Dalits,’ Article 42 ensures the ‘Right to Social Justice,’ and Article 51(j) outlines ‘Policies on Social Justice and Inclusion.’

Monitoring and Evaluation should equally track safeguarding indicators and disaggregate data for GESI, as well as integrate community feedback and incident response reviews.

These constitutional mandates guarantee non-discrimination, protection from harm, and access to justice.

Furthermore, sectoral laws and policies reinforce safeguarding responsibilities. The Children’s Act (2075 BS) mandates child protection systems, prohibits corporal punishment, and requires institutions to report violations.

The National Child Rights Policy calls for child-friendly spaces, helplines (e.g., 1098), and local-level Child Welfare Boards. The Education Act and Policies require the formation of school-based child protection committees, enforce codes of conduct, and penalize non-compliance.

The Domestic Violence (Crime and Punishment) Act criminalizes all forms of abuse and mandates protection and support for survivors. The Gender Equality Policy ensures protection against gender-based violence and promotes equal opportunity.

The National Policy and Plan of Action on Disability stresses inclusive, accessible, and dignified environments for persons with disabilities. The Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act imposes strict penalties and mandates survivor-centered support.

Likewise, the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Elimination) Act obliges all institutions to prevent, respond to, and redress harassment. The Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act guarantees women’s reproductive rights and prohibits coercion.

The Criminal Code consolidates offenses related to sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation, aligning legal practice with safeguarding principles. The Local Government Operation Act envisions municipalities forming child rights and judicial committees to institutionalize protection at the grassroots.

Other sectoral policies equally emphasize equitable systems, inclusive governance, and survivor support across sectors. These legal provisions form a robust national framework to mainstream safeguarding and inclusion in all public and programmatic actions.

In this backdrop, safeguarding and inclusion must be central to every program in development and humanitarian settings. Safeguarding and inclusion should be the ethical DNA of all development and humanitarian initiatives.

Their integration should ensure protection from harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. All programs should promote equity in access to services and opportunities.

They should empower participation and agency for marginalized groups. Ethical and transparent program implementation must be inalienable, along with trust and sustained engagement of marginalized communities.

A program that neglects safeguarding and inclusion not only risks re-traumatizing those it aims to support but also fails to meet fundamental ethical, legal, and human rights obligations. By applying a safeguarding and inclusion lens, organizations can proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks such as child labor, bullying, discrimination, and sexual exploitation.

They can ensure confidentiality, dignity, and justice for survivors through accessible reporting and response mechanisms. To cultivate respectful internal cultures free from harassment and unsafe working conditions, safeguarding and inclusion systems should be in place.

To build adaptive and responsive systems that evolve with community needs, they must be made mandatory in all program ecosystems.

For operationalizing safeguarding and inclusion across the program cycle, they should be considered at various stages. In the design phase, we should conduct inclusive, participatory risk assessments and engage marginalized groups in planning and decision-making.

To be truly sustainable, initiatives must treat safeguarding and inclusion not just as a policy, but as a philosophy and practice that guides all actions. We must place dignity first, ensuring that every program, every policy, and every action reflects this unwavering commitment.

In the recruitment phase, we should include safeguarding competencies in job descriptions and screen personnel for ethical conduct and alignment with safeguarding principles.

Likewise, in the implementation phase, we should apply inclusive approaches and universal accessibility standards, along with the establishment of survivor-centered, confidential, and safe reporting mechanisms.

Monitoring and Evaluation should equally track safeguarding indicators and disaggregate data for GESI, as well as integrate community feedback and incident response reviews.

Additionally, learning and adaptation initiatives should use real-time insights to revise policies, improve practices, build capacity, and reflect on safeguarding breaches to improve resilience and responsiveness.

By mainstreaming safeguarding and inclusion across every stage, organizations not only reduce harm but also enhance program quality, accountability, and long-term impact.

Safeguarding and inclusion should be prerequisites at every stage—not optional. In today’s funding landscape, donors and stakeholders should also demand demonstrable safeguarding systems. Failure to institutionalize these mechanisms should result in legal liability, loss of funding or accreditation, reputational damage, and harm to program participants and staff.

Conversely, programs grounded in safeguarding and inclusion exhibit stronger community trust and ownership, greater resilience and adaptability, improved participation from vulnerable and marginalized groups, and higher levels of transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership.

To sum up, safeguarding and inclusion are not add-ons—they are non-negotiable imperatives for ethical, rights-based, and equitable programming. When embedded from concept to closure, they uphold Nepal’s constitutional values and global human rights commitments.

By proactively integrating safeguarding and inclusive principles (CARE-TND) into every layer of programming, we not only protect lives but also respect the dignity, trust, and opportunity of everyone.

To be truly sustainable, initiatives must treat safeguarding and inclusion not just as a policy, but as a philosophy and practice that guides all actions. We must place dignity first, ensuring that every program, every policy, and every action reflects this unwavering commitment.