By Marie Antionette General Secretary Gambia Teachers Union (GTU).
Similar to countries in the sub region, The Gambia has a high prevalence of Gender Based Violence (GBV). It is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world with at least 1 in every 3 women alive today having experienced some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) is a Global concern.
A recent review by UNICEF reveals that sexual violence is not uncommon in the lives of many girls. Data from 40 low and middle income countries shows up to 10% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 reported incidences of gender based violence. Sexual violence, abuse, coercion and harassment at school often remain undocumented and shrouded in silence. Social taboos make researching these issues difficult.
SRGBV is a global phenomenon, preventing children especially girls exercising their right to a safe, inclusive and quality education. We do not have evidence of the full extent of SRGBV worldwide but available data on violence against children allows us to build a partial, albeit fragmented picture of the pervasive nature of SRGBV.
Although the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) calls for ‘the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls by 20230’, limited progresses has been made by countries in West Africa towards the attainment of this target. Pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequalities, economic stress caused by the pandemic coupled with restricted movement and social isolation measures have led to an exponential increase in GBV in the last year.
SRGBV is detrimental to children’s education. It can have serious effects on children’s health and well-being and their ability to learn to their full potential, it can negatively impact school participation, learning levels and completion rates and raises barriers to gender inequality in education and wider society. Combating gender based violence in and around the schools will help increase school attendance, enhance children’s quality education and improve learning outcomes. It is a vital component for the achievement of the SDG 4 education target.
SRGBV is an appalling phenomenon that undermines efforts to provide good quality education and achieve education for all. It has consequences on attendance, learning and completion rate of all learners and has the widest negative impacts on families and communities.
Although schools are the place where SRGBV occurs, they are also the places where it can stop. Schools should be learning environments where social norms and gender inequalities are challenged and transformed, including attitudes and practices condoning violence. SRGBV cannot be addressed unless it is better understood. The inability to recognize and respond to SRGBV prevents the transformation of schools into empowering spaces for girl’s, boys and teachers.
It is common knowledge that the outbreak of the COVID 19 Pandemic has fanned the flames with women and girls locked at home with abusers and household tensions high, calls for help skyrocketed. Women and girls became more vulnerable as they stayed most of the time at home. The Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) was getting increasing reports of child marriage, abuse and teenage pregnancy from the regional structures.
The GTU sought funding from the Steve Sinnott Foundation to train 45 young female teachers in Region Five. The training took place at the Regional Directorate in February this year and we are running additional training sessions over the coming months.
The overall goal of the training was to increase the teacher’s knowledge and shift attitudes and behaviours so that they can prevent SRGBV and respond to students who have experienced it. The objectives of the training were to help teachers to recognise their roles as protectors of children and agents of change in preventing SRGBV. To also identify what constitutes SRGBV, how to prevent it and how to respond to a student who has experienced SRGBV through direct support and the use of referral and reporting systems. The last objective was to restructure teaching practices to reinforce the prevention of SRGBV and promote a safe learning environment for all students.
Declarations from the Participants
“As a young female teacher in my school and community, I will be a role model to the girls.”
“I will be closer to the girls so as to identify their issues and help in addressing them.”
“With my colleagues in the school, we will organize ‘a girls’ hour’ every fortnight where we will assemble all the girls and discuss GBV issues and the impact it has on women and girls with them.”
“In my school I will work with the mothers club on addressing girls’ issues.”
Reflections on the training from the Participants
“The training was very educational, inspiring and timely as we are in the era of COVID-19 which has caused a whole lot of School Related Gender Based Violence.”
“Am really inspired and satisfied with the training and I will do a step down with my colleagues in my school and cluster.”
“I am thankful to the sponsor of the training and the GTU for choosing our region. I have learned a lot and I will share the knowledge with others in my school.”
“I have knowledge on how to fight SRGBV and I hope more training will be given to my colleagues in other regions so that together we will fight and eradicate SRGBV.”
“This is the best training I have had so far on Gender Based Violence and my role in fighting and eradicating it especially in my school and community.”
“Thank you Steve Sinnott Foundation for funding this training and GTU for organising it.”
“I thank the sponsor, coordinator and facilitators for the wonderful training. I have learnt a lot that I will share with others.”
“I am seeing the fight against GBV as a teamwork, so I will work with all the female teachers, mothers’ clubs, school councillors and senior management committee in the fight.”
“I am very grateful for the training and will raise awareness of GBV in my school and communities.”
Conclusion
It is time to stand up and say enough to violence. Enough to assumptions that violence is permissible or going away on its own. Enough to treating violence as anything less than a full scale crisis that we must do everything in our power to stop.
Enough!
That’s what we say, today and every day, to all forms of violence against women and girls. Enough to domestic violence, enough to rape, enough to harmful practices like female genital mutilation, and enough to impunity for one of the most flagrant and pervasive violations of human rights, women and girls have every right to live free from violence, everywhere.
Thank you Steve Sinnott Foundation for your unflinching support to the Gambia Teachers Union.
