The Global Working Group to End School-Related Gender-Based Violence is a coalition of 40 agencies including governments, NGOs, civil society activists and researchers, a GSN, that advocates for policy changes, shares tools and knowledge, and promotes generation of knowledge, evidence and standards of response. The campaign began on November 25 and will run until December 10 this year with the theme:
“From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All.”
A network of multi-stakeholders come together each year for 16 Days of Activism Against to end School-related Gender Based Violence, #EndSRGBV. Access to education and safe learning environments is a gap in crisis and humanitarian-aided settings, especially for refugee and displaced populations.School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) is defined as
…acts or threats of sexual, physical or psychological violence occurring in and around schools, perpetrated as a result of gender norms and stereotypes and enforced by unequal power dynamics. It also refers to the differences between girls’ and boys’ experiences of and vulnerabilities to violence.
The Global Working Group is reaching out to governments, donors and other stakeholders to participate in the actions suggested by several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
- SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.
- SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
The SDGs encompass the particular issues of gender related violence and autonomy that stem from gender norms and stereotypes.The availability of quality education in a supportive and safe environment provides for human rights and gender equality and creates a ripple effect of opportunity that will continue to improve economic growth, social development and environmental protection for generations to come.
Intervention in combating poverty and improving access to education and mentoring helps to create collective accountability in marginalized areas, which raises opportunities for all community members. Schools can propagate these old norms, or can be a critical part of developing a transformation for children and their communities.
Members of the Global Working Group to End SRGBV.