 People affected by conflict or natural disasters are vulnerable to threats to their lives, safety and dignity. When agencies provide humanitarian assistance such as food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services, they need to identify risks for the affected population in terms of safety, dignity and meaningful access related to the provision of humanitarian assistance. All humanitarian actors have a responsibility to mainstream protection in their programs. The concept of protection mainstreaming is guided by four interconnected key elements. These are 1. Prioritise safety and dignity and avoid causing harm. This is about avoiding or at least mitigating the effects of physical and psychological threats faced by affected populations when accessing humanitarian services. These threats can be internal or external. What can this look like in practice? Agency X is implementing a water and sanitation program, building toilets and washing facilities for people in a displacement context. Safety with good visibility and lighting at night and separate facilities for men and women. Dignity. After consulting with women, additional space for washing was created and extra hygiene supplies provided. Avoid causing harm. Staff and volunteers were trained in and agreed to comply with agency protocols that protect people from sexual exploitation and abuse. Meaningful access. This is about ensuring that access is provided in proportion to need and without barriers. Agency X encouraged communities to work together to overcome physical barriers and to ensure safe and dignified access for different groups including women, children, the chronically ill or people living with disabilities. With household visits, Agency X identified changes in design and location of amenities to facilitate access. Accountability. This is about maximising transparency, ensuring feedback and complaint mechanisms are in place, accessible and promote inclusive participation. Different members of the community can be affected in different ways. Consulting with a wide range of groups can help the most vulnerable and marginalised populations engage in the program. Participation and empowerment. This is about ensuring that beneficiaries are actively involved or even take full control of the humanitarian intervention. As well as receiving information, people in humanitarian crisis have the right to participate in the decisions that affect them. Protection mainstreaming aims to avoid, minimise and mitigate the risks associated with the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Our roles might be different, but protection is everyone's responsibility. The Global Protection Cluster can provide resources to help you effectively mainstream protection into humanitarian assistance.