School-related gender-based violence in every shape or form is a severe violation of a child's human right to education, yet million children are affected by it. General Director Sven Rooms discusses why the subject is at the top of every agenda we set. I questioned her about her β to me β puzzling choice to not send her daughters to school, while her sons did enjoy an education. If a girl wants to do well, she would be subjected to it.
Not only at the hands of teachers, at those of other students as well. What do you expect with teachers like that as role models? She breathed resignation rather than anger. This mother chooses safety over education for her girl. A choice that is illustrative of a painful reality. Yes, this mainly impacts girls, but boys are victims too. These are vague and optimistic estimates, as this type of violence remains mostly invisible to others. Their right to education is also denied. How can a child properly learn in an environment she or he feels unsafe in?
In an environment that forces them to direct their energy to their bodily safety instead of their learning? Would you, a parent, send your children to school knowing very well what risks you are exposing them to? This destructive practice must be itself destroyed. Schools should be safe spaces where all children, girls and boys, can develop to their full potential.
A goal VVOB has prioritised. We put this issue at the top of every agenda we have the opportunity to set. We want to shed a bright light on this painfully invisible violation of human rights. On the contrary, a momentum has been created to make a difference. Their growth is stunted by these unequal expectations, either directly in schools or indirectly through discriminating policies. This toolkit supports teachers and school leaders to not view the sex of a child as a determining and dividing factor in a classroom, but rather to focus on the specific talents and learning needs of each child, regardless of sex.
This new toolkit allows us to tackle the roots of the problem in preschool already. We cannot wait until later: gender stereotypes take form at this extremely young and impressionable age. In Africa, but also in other partner countries. We tackle gender-based violence more specifically in Cambodia, Vietnam and Suriname with support from the European Union and Belgium.
