Keeping girls safe from school related gender based violence
Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, raising awareness of the often hidden issue of violence and abuse girls and women face in the home and outside the home.
The circumstances of marginalized girls in sub-Saharan Africa make them extremely vulnerable to gender based violence (GBV). That’s why it’s so important that we tackle the issue at home and at school, led by those young women whose own experience brings profound expertise to the table.
I can help build support networks to tackle SRGBV and protect girls’ rights at every level because I understand the fear, isolation and withdrawal that occurs when children are vulnerable, and the factors that make them vulnerable.
Alice Saisha, CAMFED alumna and UNGEI Youth Representative
In her latest blog, CAMFED alumna Alice Saisha shares her experience and expertise in addressing School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV). Alice, who experienced GBV first-hand, today works with schools, communities, students and alumnae to create a safety and support network around the most vulnerable. She works in a context where GBV often spills over from communities into schools, but where schools are vital in changing girls’ prospects, teaching children about their rights, connecting them to resources, and protecting them.
Alice’s blog launches the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) #16Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign, a global call to action that runs until Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Read Alice’s latest blog: “Poor girls are at greatest risk from SRGBV. Here’s why, and what we can do about it.”
During the #16Days, activists are asked to #OrangeTheWorld for a brighter future – a future thousands of alumnae in our CAMA network work towards every day.