As a way of ensuring that schools, in their role of guiding the ‘socialization’ of children, do not implicitly legitimize and reinforce harmful gender norms through tacit or explicit approval of conditions that lead to increasingly growing out of school dropout rate for children in states considered to be educationally advantaged in south eastern Nigeria, SAFEPATH is developing a learning relationship with management of State, Mission and privately owned schools in southern Nigeria as a way to promote an enabling educational environment for teeming young students especially the girl child to remain in school.
Gender based Violence (GBV) and school Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) are both issues that SAFEPATH is deeply passionate about so our advocacy campaigns has helped to make primary and secondary school educators increasingly aware of the negative impact these issues have on girl’s lives and in the wider community. The sensitization sessions held with students particularly provided a basis for deep and open conversations with the students. They were able to identify the type of violence called SRGBV and where it may occur. As a result of our work, students in target schools now understand that incidences of SRGBV can occur in the classroom, in teacher residences, toilets, dormitories, and the roads, areas near schools and other places. Some of the types of violence identified by the children include bullying, (including verbal and/or physical harassment) sexual harassment also referred to as ‘teasing’ or insinuation, sexual acts in exchange for good grades or for the paying of school fees, non-consensual touching or sexual assault. The sessions provided an opportunity for SAFEPATH to make a clear connection between SRGBV and other forms of violence. Anti-SRGBV clubs have been established to support students confidently speak out against this scourge.