Global write shop to end gender-based violence in schools

16 Days of Activism Against School-Related Gender-Based Violence - A write shop

Every year, from 25 November to 10 December, the world unites in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Defined as ‘acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence occurring in and around schools', school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) devastates the lives of millions of students and educators globally.

During the 2019 16 Days campaign, UNGEI, Gender at Work and partners joined forces to break the silence around SRGBV and champion key actions to end it.

Whilst this campaign was powerful and important, we recognized that our efforts must not stop there. Therefore, on Human Rights Day, in partnership with Gender at Work, we convened an online global write shop leading to the creation of a call to action. Produced collaboratively by workshop participants, the call to action is an appeal to the countries of the world to recognize SRGBV as a violation of human rights, calling on governments to take specific actions through a whole school approach to eliminate it.

Millions of children around the world experience gender-based violence (GBV) in and around schools. It’s a global crisis in which too many schools are anything but the safe and supportive learning environments they need to be for students to obtain a quality education. Rather, they are violent spaces from which young people, especially girls, are fleeing.

As part of the 2018 EU-hosted Development Days conference, UNGEI participated in a panel discussion entitled ‘Eliminating gender-based violence in and around schools and other educational settings: Establishing and sustaining partnership approaches to eliminating gender-based violence in and around schools and other education settings’. Educationists representing a range of education-focused organizations shared experiences and expertise in approaches to tackling school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). Each spoke of a common resolve to shine a light on 16 Days of Activism Against School-Related Gender-Based Violence - A write shop = Every year, from 25 November to 10 December, the world unites in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Defined as ‘acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence occurring in and around schools', school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) devastates the lives of millions of students and educators globally. During the 2019 16 Days campaign, UNGEI, Gender at Work and partners joined forces to break the silence around SRGBV and champion key actions to end it. Whilst this campaign was powerful and important, we recognized that our efforts must not stop there. Therefore, on Human Rights Day, in partnership with Gender at Work, we convened an online global write shop leading to the creation of a call to action. Produced collaboratively by workshop participants, the call to action is an appeal to the countries of the world to recognize SRGBV as a violation of human rights, calling on governments to take specific actions through a whole school approach to eliminate it.