Safely at school: reducing the risks of school-related gender-based violence for children in schools in Sierra Leone

• In Event: Inclusive and tech-driven education: lessons and challenges from global initiatives

Proposal

Background - School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) affects 246 million adolescents around the world every year. SRGBV includes violence at school but also violence related to educational participation such as bullying or physical or sexual violence on the way to and from school. Measuring SRGBV is challenging, particularly when it intersects with social marginalisation. Although some data is available from large-scale surveys, we have limited insight into locations of violence, exposure to other risk factors, and how violence intersects with disability. The limited research on disability and GBV finds that women with disabilities are at higher risk of violence than men or women without disabilities and that children with disabilities are more likely to experience violence than other children. Inclusive education policies rarely consider SRGBV, and educational safeguarding policies often overlook specific needs of boys and girls with disabilities.
SRGBV in Sierra Leone - In Sierra Leone, GBV is widespread and is deeply rooted in social and economic gender inequalities, with 62% of women reporting experiencing physical or sexual violence. A 2010 national survey found 90% of children had experienced physical violence at school, and almost 80% had experienced corporal punishment. Over 40% of girls experienced sexual violence, and 18% had been raped, one third of these at or around school. A 2022 study identified corporal punishment, sexual threats and violence by teachers, and bullying, sexual harassment by peers as various forms of SRGBV. Beyond school gates, girls reported sexual exploitation for transport to and from school, cost of lunch and school charges. Most girls in this category get pregnant and drop out of school.
Study objectives - The aim of this study is to understand and articulate the experiences, perceptions, needs and concerns of boys and girls with disabilities regarding SRGBV in Sierra Leone. Learning will be used to work with school-communities to co-develop disability inclusive response strategies to end SRGBV.
Study location - The study, funded by Sexual Violence Research Institute, is conducted in Karene district, in northwestern Sierra Leone and covers four junior secondary schools. The schools cover the 7-9th years of schooling, with children between the ages of 12-15 years. All schools have enrolments of 250 to 450 students; each with at least 20 students with disabilities. All children with disabilities were invited to participate in the study.
Methods - The study is grounded in community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) methodology, aiming to break down the social injustice and structural constraints producing power inequities through facilitating reflective action from those affected. The focus on mutual dialogue and low levels of hierarchy places children with disabilities, especially girls, in the centre of research and decision-making processes. The approach ensures findings reflect the experiences and perspectives of children with disabilities, and that proposed actions reflect their needs. We are implementing CBPAR using four interrelated data collection methods, namely focus group discussion, participatory geographic information system, photovoice and participatory action workshops.
To reinforce our participatory approach and build local capacities in disability research, Sightsavers is collaborating with two organisations of persons with disabilities, namely African Youth with Disabilities Network and Concern for the Development of Women and Children with Disabilities. Additionally, we recruited eight young researchers with disabilities, that is two per study school. Young researchers are aged 18-35 years, based in communities around study schools and worked with teachers to get consent from parents/caregivers of children with disabilities to enable children to participate in the study. They led FGDs for 70 children with disabilities across the four study schools. Children shared their understandings of SRGBV, defined categories of violence, and co-created maps showing routes they used to get to/from school, and sites where children felt particularly safe/unsafe. Yo ung researchers with disabilities located landmarks and sites using ArcGIS, a mapping and spatial interactive software, and took photos of places with particular salience to children.
The research team additionally conducted FGDs involving 120 community members around the four study schools to get their perspectives on SRGBV, perpetrators of abuse and define what can be done at the community level to eliminate SRGBV.
Results: Findings from preliminary analysis of the data collected show the following:
1. SRGBV exists in study schools and communities, the key ones being provocation, sexual harassment, discrimination and corporal punishment.
2. Major perpetrators of abuse against children with disabilities include bike riders, teachers and other children.
3. Compared to boys, girls with disabilities receive more favour from teachers, bike riders and other community members. People proving support however use it at some point to sexually exploit girls with disabilities.
4. Compliant mechanisms to address SRGBV are non-existent and leaders, including school management teams, do very little to intervene and hold perpetrators accountable for violations.
5. Sites of abuse on the way to and from school and in the communities are often isolated areas, such long stretch of roads, dilapidated buildings and places where street boys gather.
These findings will be further refined by ongoing thematic analysis of the data, and validation processes in each school-community in late 2024. The presentation will also draw on learnings from the process of co-creation of school-community SRGBV workplans.

Conclusion - This study has so far explored the perspectives and experiences of children with disabilities in relation to the factors responsible for SRGBV, sites of abuse, perpetrators involved and what can be done to make children feel safer. Findings from this study are important because learnings acquired will be used by the study team to work with communities and other stakeholders to co-design local approaches that will help to make children safe. Lessons could also be used to design similar studies in other parts of the country and identify any regional variations. At the national level, findings will be shared with concerned ministries to formulate policies that will contribute to eliminating SRGBV. The study highlights the value that use of digital technologies, such as participatory GIS mapping and photography, can add to understanding of sensitive and hard to research topics such as SRGBV.

Authors

• Steven Edward Kaindaneh, Sightsavers

• Julia de Kadt, Sightsavers

• Sapana Basnet, Sightsavers

• Elena Schmidt, Sightsavers

• Alexandre Chailloux, Sightsavers