Page 33 - SyI Quarterly 7

#OurSecurity Campaign:

Sharing stories to promote

change

Simona Mortolini, Global Gender and Diversity Safety and
Security Manager

My story in the security sector is atypical, to say the least. Sometimes, I define
it as “a mature phase of my fluid professional identity”. But let’s start from the
beginning.
I was born in the 1970’s in Italy, into a family of farmers, partisans and survivors
to war and poverty. These were people who dreamt of a better future, who
fought for workers’ and women’s rights and who worked hard to guarantee
a formal education for their childrenI was the first one in my family to study
at a University. With a degree in Cultural Anthropology, I set out to satisfy
my curiosity towards human beings, with their diverse stories, traditions and
cultural identities. And I knew that my path would always be well supported by
my pursuit for justice and equality.

My first jobs ranged from working as a schoolteacher for children with
disabilities, to collaborating with an association fighting organized crime.

After several post-degree studies, I started my career with International
Organizations, initially in development and then in the humanitarian sector. I
spent thirteen years in Operations Management, between Sri Lanka, Argentina,
Guatemala, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya,
Somalia, Nigeria, DRC Congo, and in the Mediterranean area for the response
to the migration crisis.

A few years ago, I moved to the UK, where I started to work in the Safety and
Security department of the organization I have been with over the last seven
years - Save the Children.

My actual role as “Gender and Diversity Safety and Security Manager” was
created in the organization as result of the combination between staff requests
and leadership vision, in particular of the Security Director, Craig Maartens. We
were inspired also by the Global Interagency Security Forum, of which Save the
Children is a Member. The GISF Paper “Managing the Security of Aid Workers
with Diverse Profiles” can be considered a milestone in the Security Industry, as
it is re-thinking the sector by putting people at the centre.

This “person’s centred approach” is an anthropological transformation, which
also calls for an expansion of professional profiles in security. It breaks silos
between sectors and stereotypes related to the traditional ways of thinking to
security personnel.

The reality is that the more diverse we are, the better we are equipped to
understand, represent, protect and serve both the staff and the communities
we work with.