Stop Violence Against Girls in School
With the support of the UK’s Big Lottery Fund, ActionAid has launched a new multi-country project called Stop Violence Against Girls in School.
The Stop Violence Against Girls in School project officially started on the 1st of July 2008 and will be implemented simultaneously in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique. The project is working towards four key outcomes which it hopes to achieve by 2013:
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In Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique, a legal and policy framework that specifically addresses VAGS exists and is being implemented at all levels
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Violence against girls by family members, teachers and peers in the intervention districts is reduced by 50% from baseline statistics
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In the portfolio intervention districts, enrolment of girls is increased by an average 22%, girls’ drop out rate decreases by an average 20% and substantial progress is made towards gender parity in education
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14,000 girls in the portfolio intervention districts report the confidence to challenge the culture of violence in and around schools
Working in close collaboration with national partner organizations, ActionAid is using a combined approach consisting of community-level initiatives, research and advocacy to improve girls’ access to and achievements in education.
In all this work, the empowerment of girls themselves will be the focus as this is fundamental to securing a transformation of gender relations in schools and communities.
ActionAid will partner with leading research organizations to shed light on violence in schools and its impact on girls’ rights. Comprehensive baseline data is being collected which will allow for systematic comparison and analysis over time.
Over the next 5 years a wide range of activities will be undertaken and ActionAid expects that lessons learned during this period will inform future work and help us tackle the phenomenon of Violence Against Girls in School on a wider scale. These include:
Creating girl-friendly environments:
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Setting up and supporting girls’ clubs in and outside schools
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Making schools safe e.g. through constructing latrines for girls in schools
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Promoting the use of codes of conduct for teachers and learners in school
Training and capacity-building:
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Training for parents and School Management Committee and PTA Members on issues around violence and child protection
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Training for teachers and education authorities on gender-responsive pedagogy
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Training for boys, police and community leaders on the impact of violence against girls and how to respond
Raising awareness and campaigning:
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Reaching out to community leaders, traditional and religious authorities
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Mobilising communities to take a strong stand on violence in schools Working with local and national media to run campaigns on violence against girls
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Collaborating with coalitions and networks to ensure the issue of violence against girls in schools is kept on the agenda
Advocating for change in policy and practice:
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Working with teachers’ unions to ensure the dissemination and use of the teachers’ code of ethics and engaging teachers as key allies in our work to stop violence against girls in schools
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Lobbying for the development and implementation of policies that specifically address violence against girls in schools at all levels
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Working with Governments to develop appropriate mechanisms for reporting and responding to cases of violence in schools
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