Our Safeguarding Commitment
Global Fund for Women envisions a world where movements for gender justice have transformed power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all.
We along with our partners engage in complex and vital work, which can expose people to a range of harms including state sponsored violence, bullying, harassment, exploitation, coercion, and abuse. These abuses are manifestations of power inequalities, deeply rooted in inequitable gender dynamics and further compounded across multiple identity dimensions. We also recognize that power imbalances can occur between colleagues in the workplace; and as an organization of staff largely based in the Global North but working globally, we are attuned to the power inequalities and harm that can arise from this.
As a feminist fund dedicated to gender justice, we will not tolerate abuses of power. We are committed to ensuring our employees, our partners, and the people they work with have an equal right to protection. This is detailed in our Safeguarding Policy and Anti-bribery and Corruption Policy.
To support this commitment, we have engaged EthicsPoint, a third-party vendor, to provide a web-based reporting system. Reports are confidential and can be anonymous.
To report a concern please click here.
For details, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions below.
Should you have further questions, please email [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): Safeguarding at Global Fund for Women
About EthicsPoint
What is EthicsPoint?
EthicsPoint is a system created by a third party vendor, NAVEX Global, who is contracted by Global Fund for Women to support a comprehensive and confidential reporting mechanism for our employees, partners, and the people they work with, in line with our policies. People can use EthicsPoint as an external mechanism to report any concerns relating to our Safeguarding Commitment or Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy confidentially and anonymously.
Why do we need a system like EthicsPoint?
- As a feminist fund dedicated to gender justice, Global Fund for Women has a zero tolerance policy towards abuses of power. We are committed to conducting our work with honesty, transparency and integrity, and we expect all staff and partners to maintain and uphold our values and the high standards set out in our policies.
- Raising a concern can be daunting. EthicsPoint’s reporting system is designed to maintain anonymity and help our staff, partners, and the people they work feel more able to report any concerns.
- This system will help Global Fund for Women ensure all people who work for us and with us have an equal right to protection. Global Fund for Women will ensure concerns are taken seriously, will never attempt to conceal evidence of poor or unacceptable behaviour or practice, take appropriate disciplinary action when needed, ensure confidentiality to the extent possible, and strictly prohibit any form of retaliation.
Reporting – General
What types of situations should I report?
The EthicsPoint system allows Global Fund for Women employees, partners, and the people they work with to report any concerns or violations of our Safeguarding Commitment, or other concerns relating to our Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy.
If I see a violation, shouldn’t I just report it to my manager, security, or human resources and let them deal with it?
When you observe or experience behavior that you believe violates Global Fund for Women’s Safeguarding Commitment or Anti-bribery and Corruption policy, we expect you to report it. We recognize, however, there may be circumstances where you are not able to, or comfortable with, reporting the issue directly to your manager or leadership team. This is why we use the EthicsPoint system.
Why should I report what I know? What’s in it for me?
We all have the right to equal protection and many of us share a strong commitment to gender justice. With this comes a collective responsibility to report and challenge abuses of power. By doing this, we are also helping to transform power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all.
Where do these reports go? Who can access them?
Reports are entered directly on the EthicsPoint secure server. NAVEX Global makes these reports available only to the designated Safeguarding and/or Compliance Leads at Global Fund for Women, who are charged with evaluating the report and leading any investigation. Each of these report recipients has had training in keeping these reports in the utmost confidence. If a concern or allegation involves one of the Safeguarding Leads, reports can be made to [email protected] Allegations relating to a Safeguarding Lead will be handled by an independent board member and are not seen by the Safeguarding Lead implicated. The names of the current Safeguarding Leads can be found on the first page of our Safeguarding Commitment.
Reporting – Security & Confidentiality
Even if I submit the report confidentially, is it possible that the computer I am using could be used to identify me as the person submitting?
NAVEX Global, the company that runs the EthicsPoint system, does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your computer to EthicsPoint is available.
If you feel uncomfortable making a report on your work computer, you have the option of using a PC outside your work environment (such as one located at an Internet café or at a friend’s house).
Can I file a report from home and still remain anonymous?
A report from home, a neighbor’s computer, or any Internet portal will remain secure and anonymous. The Internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and the EthicsPoint system strips away Internet addresses so that anonymity can be maintained.
I am concerned that the information I provide EthicsPoint will ultimately reveal my identity. How can you assure me that will not happen?
The EthicsPoint system protects your anonymity. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, you – as a reporting party – need to ensure that the body of the report does not reveal your identity by accident. For example, “From my desk next to Jan Smith…” or “In my 33 years…”.
What if I want to be identified with my report?
There is a section in the report to identify yourself, if you wish.
Tips and Good Practices
I am not sure if what I have observed or heard is a violation of company policy, or involves unethical conduct, but it just does not look right to me. What should I do?
File a report. The EthicsPoint system will guide you through preparing a report to file. We’d rather you report a situation that turns out to be harmless than let possible unethical or abusive behavior go unchecked.
What if my boss or other managers are involved in a violation? Won’t they get the report and start a cover-up?
The EthicsPoint system and NAVEX Global’s subsequent report distribution ensure that implicated parties do not receive or have access to the original reports in which they have been named.
The EthicsPoint system will only share reports with the Safeguarding Leads and/or Compliance Leads of Global Fund for Women. Global Fund for Women may use the information provided in any report to support their enquiries and any investigation they may undertake.
Global Fund for Women will inform each person/organization implicated in a report of the allegations made against them in good time. In doing so, they will not reveal your identity or share the original report made on EthicsPoint.
If you wish to report an incident about a Global Fund for Women Safeguarding Lead, you may do so by emailing [email protected] These reports will not be seen by the Safeguarding Lead/s and will be handled by an independent Board member. The names of the Safeguarding Leads can be found on the first page of our Safeguarding Commitment.
What if I remember something important about the incident after I file the report? Or what if the company has further questions for me concerning my report?
When you file a report, you receive a unique, randomized number called a “Report Key”. You will be asked to create a password which you can use to access your original report. You can then add further detail to the report or answer questions posed by the Safeguarding and/or Compliance Leads as needed. We strongly suggest that you return to the site in the time specified (no longer than six working days) to answer questions from the Safeguarding/Compliance Leads. At this stage, you and the Safeguarding/Compliance Leads have now entered into an “anonymous dialogue”. This dialogue is essential as they investigate your report.
Are these follow-ups on reports as secure as the first one?
All correspondence within EthicsPoint is held in the same strict confidence as the initial report, continuing under the umbrella of anonymity. As with the original report, it is important you do not reveal your identity by accident when answering questions/providing additional information.
What if I lose my Report Key or forget the Password I created?
To ensure that security and confidentiality is maintained, if you lose your report key or password, you will need to file a new report. Mention in the new report that it is related to a report or question you previously submitted.
Can I still file a report if I don’t have access to the Internet?
You can file an EthicsPoint report from any computer or cell phone that can access the Internet. You can file from home. Many public locations, including the public library, have computers with Internet access.