Part II Protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls: NHRIs in action A young victim of abuse at a safe house in Monrovia, Liberia. UN Photo by Staton Winter. 5.3.1. General considerations for conducting ethical and safe interviews NHRI staff should be aware that women and girls with whom they are in contact can be suffering from trauma related to the human rights violations they have experienced. Trauma will affect how the victim understands and communicates what has happened to her. For example, victims of trafficking often display an inability to recall events in a chronological or sequential way. In an interview situation, they may even invent plausible answers to questions about incidents that are traumatic to recall or cannot be remembered. NHRI staff should have at least basic training in recognizing and dealing with signs of trauma. Women and girls should be encouraged to talk at their own pace and in their own words, without being rushed or interrupted. While the primary purpose of the interview is to collect information, this process can also help to strengthen and empower victims. The interview should be conducted in a place where the person feels safe and provides them with privacy. It is especially important that victims of human rights violations do not perceive the interview as an interrogation and they should be reassured on this point as often as necessary. The issue of privacy and confidentiality should also be discussed before the interview begins and the interviewer should ensure that the interviewee provides her full and informed consent to the manner in which the information will be used. Women may have particular concerns about retaliation or reprisals and these concerns should be kept in mind at all times. The issue of confidentiality is not straightforward; while this may be in the interests of the victim, confidentiality can also impact on the rights of persons alleged to have committed human rights violations. As OHCHR has noted, the NHRI will need to balance these different and legitimate interests.96 The most important point, however, is that the complainant fully understands the process and agrees to participate on those terms. 96 OHCHR, National Human Rights Institutions: History, Principles, Roles and Responsibilities, Professional Training Series No. 4 (Rev. 1), 2010, p. 87. Chapter 5: Responding to complaints of violations of women’s and girls human rights | 59