Expanding the protection space: community safety services for displacement-impacted communities 

Project Profile 

Introduction 

This project, started in July 2020, seeks to enhance the capacity of safety actors to engage with the local community and to bring different state and civil society actors together to address locally identified safety issues, particularly online gender-based violence and community cybercrime. 

Background 

 While rapid advances in ICT and internet coverage have expanded access to diverse information and greater possibility for positive networking, they have also enabled new avenues for abuse and violence, including gender-based violence (GBV). Recent research by Siren Associates reveals that cyberviolence, which includes online harassment, coercion, blackmail and bullying, is a key concern of a third of Syrian refugees and Jordanians. The Jordanian Police, the Public Security Directorate (PSD), estimate that 80% of interpersonal cybercrime survivors are girls or women, most commonly through sexual extortion and blackmail – yet the majority of those reporting are men.

This project will train and mentor police to effectively communicate and work with communities and CBOs, build “safe spaces” with the PSD where communities can safely access services (physically or digitally), work with the Arab Women’s Organisation to develop the capacity of CBOs to share safety messaging and raise awareness around critical issues such as cybercrime, and explore how digital technologies may be used to provide, track, or improve access to protection services to vulnerable communities. The project will also help develop and implement shared initiatives designed to address public safety issues around online GBV and cybercrime with CBO partners, and work with “Community Pioneers” that will champion safety messaging to develop their skills and network. 

  • Enhanced capacity of community safety actors to engage with local community to provide greater host and refugee access to protection services  
  • Improved social cohesion and reduced tensions in displacement affected communities
  • Capacity building for PSD on engagement with local communities, the development of community “safe spaces,” and PSD-led safety campaigns around online GBV and cybercrime in six districts 
  • Capacity building for CBOs, technical investments for improved service provision, and a digital transformation pilot research project 
  • Joint capacity building for Community Pioneers, including training and networking 
  • Community-led initiatives addressing community-identified safety challenges across six districts 

Jordan

 The European Regional Development and Protection Programme for Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (RDPP II)

  • National Association for Family Support – East Amman (Hashmi Shamali) 
  • Bawabet Nazzal Association – East Amman (Hai Nazzal) 
  • Arab Women’s Organisation – Mafraq (city) 
  • Nashmiat Ghadeer Al-Teer – Mafraq (Al-Khaldieh) 
  • Takafol – Irbid (Ramtha) 
  • Edon Association – Irbid (Edon) 
  • Public Security Directorate 

Jul. 2020 – Dec. 2021  

 Christianne Aikins, Strategic Development Lead