Project Introduction
The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative's Gender at the Centre Initiative is an international collaboration between civil society and international organisations, aimed at promoting gender equality in education across 8 pilot countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Nigeria....) working with eight (8) education minitries within Africa
the project.
Sierra Leone Context
In Sierra Leone, Plan International and Education For All Coalition have partnered to enhance girls’ retention in schools by establishing a protective and empowering environment.
This initiative operates in 4 districts, including Moyamba, Port Loko, Western Rural, and Western Urban, in collaboration with 8 ministries, including the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), since November 202. Over 300 participants has been reached. The project targeted Schools, Civil Society Organisations and Communities to generate discussion, raise awareness, trained and profer solution on School Related Gender Base Violence (SRGBV) with the aim of mainstreaming gender transformation into orgnisation and community programming.
From the 16th-18th October 2023 at Mamba Pioints (Lagoonda) at the creek of Aberdeen Plan International and Education for All- which Network AID is a member orgnised for Civil Society Organisations, Techers from the project opperating districts.
The three days training was about reflecting on what we do in solving or responding to gender base base violnce in related to school related gender base violence.
A mixed of the Universal Module on School Related Gender Base Violence prepared by UNGEI together with UNESCO and Plan International and that of Plan International were used for the training.It was evident by data that everyone school pupils had undergone SRGBV.
The Head of Programmes of Plan international during her facilitation takes us through the actual understanding of what school related gender base violence is and to picture our organisation what it represent when the organisation name is mentioned to others.
For the three days we were taking through: Understanding SRGBV, Why Addressing SRGBV, Defining the Root Causes, Biggest Issues, Priviledges and Pressures of Being a Man/Woman, Understanding Gender, Senarios, Group Work and Plenary Discussions.
My takeaway from the training were:
1. SRGBV is critical and require maximum attention by all
2. SRGBV affect the community, family life and the advancement of a country
3. Social and gender norms are the biggest issues
4. Conflicting policies, legal framework, resources, week structural implementation provides avenue for SRGBV
5. Less family and community knowledge on SRGBV limit to act accordingly.
6. Information and knowledge from gender, social or development workers to the community related to gender, fiminism, culture, religion fuel non acceptance.
i am pleased with the learning exchange and recommend for broader intervention in all the 16 districts in Sierra Leone.
How Do We Address SRGBV
The following contributions were made:
1. Rasining more awareness in schools, families and community
2. Providing cash transfer to parent and familiies
3. Monitoring the implementation of existing policies and legal framework
4. strenthening the referal pathway
5. Advocate for compensiation of victims or survivors of SRGBV
6. Putting gender at the center of education and all works of life
7. leveraging hands-on tools for gender responsive teaching
8. Tracking gender bias amongst teachers, families, community and school leaders
As an organisation working with and placing illiterate persons especially women and girls at the center will integrate school related gender base violence into it health and safety programme.
Thanks to Plan International and Education for All with support from UNGEI.
