Genderbased violence in schools: Benin case study

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Gender-based violence in schoolsBenin case study

• Michele Akpo
• Project Director
• Academy for Educational Development
• October 2007

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Gender-based violence in Benin

• Even though there is no quantitative data or
  strong evidence to prove the existence of
  gender-based violence in Benin schools, it is a
  persistent issue which is detrimental to girls
  education
• This presentation will discuss the facts about
  sexual harassment and abuse in schools, its
  implications on educating girls, and suggest ways
  to progressively eliminate this social issue in
  Benin

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Presentation outline

• Benin education system Background information
• Gender-based violence in schools Facts
• Policy framework to address gender-based violence
  
• Ways to overcome gender-based violence
• Conclusion

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Background information on Benin

• Population 6.7 million
• Annual population growth 3.2
• Life Expectancy 53 years old
• HIV prevalence rate 1.8
• Ranked 161st by UNDP Human Development Report in
  2002

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Basic education data

• Gross enrollment rate for primary school (both
  girls and boys)
• 1990 41
• 2005 96
• Survival rate through grade 5 52 (2004)
• Gross enrollment rate for secondary school
• 1991 10
• 2005 33
• Transition rate for primary to secondary school
  51 (2002)
• Youth literacy rate, 15-24 year olds 45.3

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Girls education data

• Gross enrollment rates (GER) for girls
• 1990 36
• 2005 85
• Ratio of girls to boys GER in primary and
  secondary school
• 0.661 in 2002
• 0.751 in 2004
• Literacy rate for young women, 15-24 years 33.2

Source Benin ten-year education development plan
(2006-2015)
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Are they all in school?

• Girls GER in primary school 76 (2002)
• Boys GER in primary school 91 (2002)

Awareness campaign billboard
For every 100 girls who enter primary school,
only 47 in urban areas and 14 in rural areas
are able to transition to secondary school
compared to 70 of boys in urban areas and 39 in
rural areas (UNESCO, Institute of Statistics
Statistics in Brief, Education in Benin)
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Sexual harassment and abuse in school Hindering
girls education

• Obstacles to girls education such as cultural
  barriers and poverty have been discussed for a
  long time, and many interventions have been
  implemented to reduce these problems
• For a long time, however, sexual harassment and
  abuse perpetrated on girls in schools have not
  been discussed openly

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Defining gender-based violence

• Gender-based violence is a broadly-defined term
  encompassing an array of behavior that causes
  physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women
  or girls

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Gender-based violence Culturally accepted
practice in the context of existing gender roles

• Examples of gender-based violence (abuse and
  traditional practices)
• Early and/or child marriage
• Levirate
• Widowhood practices
• Rape/kidnapping
• Genital mutilation
• Sexual harassment and abuse in schools and in the
  workplace

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Gender-based violence in school FINDINGS

• Schools do not always provide a safe environment
  for girls
• Parents and students report that sexual abuse is
  common
• Fearing family disgrace, victims and victims
  parents rarely come forward to bring this issue
  to law enforcement authorities

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Gender-based violence in school FINDINGS (cont)

• Parents and victims do not often know that there
  are laws that protect them
• When girls are sexually abused, they fear going
  to school
• They also do not perform well and end up dropping
  out
• Parents are reluctant to send their daughters to
  school

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Gender-based violence in schoolHOW DOES IT
HAPPEN?

• Teachers threaten girls by giving them bad marks
• Teachers promise girls good marks in exchange for
  sex
• Teachers and other sugar-daddies promise to
  give monetary compensation to girls in exchange
  for sex

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Implications of sexual abuse in schools

• Poor performance
• Poor achievement
• Low self-esteem
• Health Issues unwanted pregnancies, early
  pregnancies, unsafe abortions and death, exposure
  to HIV/AIDS and STDs
• Loss in national productivity

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Legal framework

• The 1988 Ministry of Education policy to combat
  sexual harassment and abuse in schools
• Punishes teachers who attempt to coerce girls to
  have abortions
• Punishes girls who provoke teachers

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Legal framework (cont)

• The Family Code passed in 2004 addresses womens
  rights in the home and in society, raises the
  minimum age for marriage, and outlaws polygamy

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Legal framework (p.3)

• Law on Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Schools and
  the Workplace, passed in 2006, prescribes
  sanctions to deter sexual harassment and violence

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Strategies to overcome gender-based violence in
schools

• Recent laws need to be implemented and enforced
• Victims support channels need to be established
• The judiciary system needs to be strengthened
• Males need to be enlisted as champions of
  non-violence against women

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Conclusion

• A systemic approach and strategy needs to be
  implemented to address gender-based violence in a
  sustainable way
• Awareness raising about the existing laws
• Consistent implementation and enforcement of laws
  to create a change in behavior towards girls and
  women
• Establishment of strong victims support channels

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• THANK YOU

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