We need to free our schools of sexual violence

Education: A Fundamental Human Right

Education is a fundamental human right. It has the power to raise people and populations out of poverty, level inequalities, and ensure sustainable development.

Yet, millions of children around the world are not safe at school. According to the latest United Nations estimate, 246 million girls and boys experience violence in and around schools every year. For these children, school is not a place where they can explore and thrive, but somewhere they are exposed to physical, psychological, or even sexual violence.

School-Related Gender-Based Violence

School-related gender-based violence – ranging from bullying and unwelcome sexual advances to groping and rape – is causing severe, long-term psychological and social harm to countless children. It has to stop.

I say this because I know how it feels to be sexually abused as a child. How much it hurts to fear people you are told to trust. How isolating it can be to not feel safe in the very places you are supposed to be protected.

My abuse happened when I was 10. It was my uncle who abused me. As I reeled in pain he looked me in the eye and smiled. I couldn’t believe that I had escaped a neighbour who tried to violate me when I was younger – saved by his sister who walked in – only to be abused by a family member in my own home, a place I considered safe.

I was ashamed to tell my parents and terrified of the stigmatisation that would come with being branded as “the girl who was abused”. So I stayed silent, even though inside I was screaming.

Knowing that home was no longer a safe space, I asked my parents to send me to a boarding school. I thought I would be safe there as my uncle would not have access to me. At that innocent age, I believed schools to be places where children are always safe, cared for, and happy.

I was wrong. At my new school, teachers were sexually harassing students with impunity. Unable to stop the abuse I witnessed, I found myself trapped in my trauma and fear. I could see the same feelings of terror and helplessness on the faces of my friends. We were not learning, developing and thriving like we knew we could and should have been. Our education and development were suppressed by a culture of sexual violence against children, girls especially.

A Beacon of Justice

At just 12 years old, in the darkest crevices of my shattered innocence, a spark of resilience emerged: I was not going to let this oppression define me. So, influenced by what I had seen and experienced, and determined to be a beacon of justice for girls scared by abuse like myself, I decided to become a lawyer.

Fast forward to the present, I am an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and have dedicated my career to achieving a more equitable world and ending gender-based violence against children, at schools and beyond.

As Africa Campaign Manager for the Brave Movement, I am working alongside many other brave survivors of childhood sexual abuse to create a new, better world in which no child experiences what I did.

The Situation in Africa

In Africa, school-related gender-based violence is rife. Abuse happens in classrooms, on school grounds, or on the way to school. While girls are statistically more vulnerable, boys too are affected. The specifics differ from country to country and region to region, but gender-based violence is limiting children’s capacity to flourish and realise their potential in one way or the other at schools all across the continent.

We need to do something to protect them, and we need to do something fast.

Taking Action

You may ask, with millions and millions of children potentially affected, where can we even begin to address such a huge problem?

The good news is we already know what to do. There is a growing body of research and evidence around best practices in ending school-related gender-based violence. We know what works.

This week, at Women Deliver 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Safe to Learn Global Advocacy Taskforce, of which the Brave Movement is a member, launched a new youth and survivor-led advocacy brief on school-related gender-based violence.

Recommendations for Safeguarding Children in Schools

Guided by the views, experiences and recommendations of survivors and youth activists, this is what we think should be done to safeguard children in schools:

1. Governments should formulate and enforce comprehensive policies that are aimed at addressing school-related gender-based violence, unequivocally prohibiting all forms of violence, harassment, and discrimination within educational settings. These policies must be accompanied by robust reporting mechanisms and accountability frameworks to ensure their effective implementation.
2. Teachers should be provided with sufficient training on gender-sensitive and inclusive teaching methodologies, as well as guidance on preventing, identifying and responding to school-related gender-based violence. For teachers to become active agents in sexual violence prevention and response in schools, they need to be taught that they are not only educators but also protectors of the children in their care.
3. We should all work to raise awareness about this widespread but rarely talked about problem. Comprehensive awareness campaigns play a crucial role in nurturing a culture of respect and promoting gender equality. This ladders up to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments.

With every step taken to implement these essential changes, this very big problem becomes a tiny bit smaller. With every ally and supporter that joins our movement, the weight of the challenge becomes that

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Explanation:

The article discusses the issue of school-related gender-based violence, which directly relates to the goals of quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16). It highlights the importance of creating safe and inclusive learning environments to ensure that all children, regardless of their gender, can access education without experiencing violence or discrimination.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

Explanation:

The article emphasizes the need to address school-related gender-based violence and promote a culture of peace, non-violence, and gender equality within educational settings. This aligns with Target 4.7 of SDG 4, which aims to ensure that learners acquire knowledge and skills related to sustainable development, human rights, and gender equality. Additionally, the article highlights the importance of eliminating violence against women and girls, including sexual exploitation, which corresponds to Target 5.2 of SDG 5. Lastly, the article calls for an end to abuse and violence against children, aligning with Target 16.2 of SDG 16.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: aljazeera.com

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