Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights, often targeted against women and girl children. It is a global problem that has increased, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic, climate, and economic crisis.

Violence in a child’s formative years has far-reaching consequences on the child’s physical, mental, sexual, and emotional well-being.

School-Related Gender-Based Violence(SRGBV) are acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence perpetrated due to gender norms and stereotypes in and around schools.

It violates the fundamental rights of children and is a form of gender discrimination, having wide-ranging consequences for their physical and emotional well-being, school performance and attendance, and the likelihood of experiencing or perpetrating future violence.

In Nigeria, boys and girls in schools endure high levels of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, with girls experiencing more of the latter.

FAME Foundation, in conjunction with the French Embassy in Nigeria, organized the STANDUP Against SRGBV project to mark the 16 Days of Activism Campaign.

The project was informed by the increasing rate of violence against girls in schools and the effects of SRGBV on children, families, and communities.

About 100 female students drawn from different public schools in Abuja were trained in the martial art for self-defense, alongside enlightened on School-Related Gender-Based Violence on December 7, 2022, at the Indoor Sports Complex, Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

The Executive Director of FAME Foundation, Ms. Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, said during the event that every girl shall leave the room with increased confidence and no reservations about her ability to stop instances of gender-based violence and take action in and around her school.

Project Officer at the French Embassy, Camille Oren, said in Nigeria, 44% of girls have experienced one or more forms of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by teachers and/or classmates.

This violence has far-reaching consequences on the child’s physical, mental, sexual, and emotional well-being. Sexual harassment within the school environment can interfere with students’ educational opportunities, especially among girls.

This initiative is part of the campaign supported by French diplomacy to support the fight against gender-based violence.

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