Zero Tolerance for Sexual Violence!

In recent years, we have been able to work with our partner CIPCRE-Benin to introduce a code of conduct against sexual violence and harassment in over 500 schools in Benin. Its implementation is monitored by observation committees and other trained students and teachers. In these schools, early pregnancies have steadily decreased since the introduction of the code of conduct as well as education campaigns.

However, across the country, sexual violence, early marriage and early pregnancies still prevent many children, especially girls, from attending school and have even increased strongly since the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that more schools need close accompaniment for the introduction and effective application of a code of conduct, and parents and communities also need to be more involved in child protection.

As part of a new project, the code of conduct is now to be introduced in a large number of schools nationwide. State agents at national and local level are accompanied to take over more responsibility to promote the code of conduct in schools. Support for schools, communities and stakeholders will be provided in cooperation with other organizations of the "Zero Tolerance for Sexual Violence" alliance.

Overall objective: A safe school environment free from violence of any form exists for students in the twelve departments of Benin.

Project objective: A code of conduct against sexual violence is introduced in primary and secondary schools in Benin and implemented in practice.

Specific objectives:

1. Concrete mechanisms are in place at the central and decentralized levels of the Ministries for primary and secondary education to support schools in the introduction and implementation of the code of conduct against sexual violence.
2. Students in Benin know the contents of the code of conduct against sexual violence, as well as self-protection and complaint mechanisms.
3. Civil society agents (media, protection committees, etc.) disseminate the contents of the code of conduct.

• Planning workshop, advocacy and working meetings with the ministries of education and social affairs.
• Training program for state agents, especially the ministries' focal points for the introduction of the code of conduct, school inspections and pedagogical advisors
• Development of a data collection system for sexual violence and early pregnancies in elementary school.
• Revision of the code of conduct in accordance with the experience and evaluation results gathered so far
• Training of protection committees and peer educators at primary and secondary schools
• Exchange of experiences with parents' associations
• Annual competition to honor the "best school in child protection".
• Inclusion of child protection topics in school textbooks
• Translation of children's rights into 2 local languages
• Annual training of 60 media representatives
• Implementation of a media campaign with 396 radio broadcasts, 6 television broadcasts, 1 documentary film on the project, radio spots, press releases and publications in social media, as well as the implementation of a competition to honor the "best media contribution against sexual violence against schoolchildren"
• Publication on the project results and good practices

Project costs: € 598,400

Financial partners:

• German cooperation (BMZ)
• CIPCRE-Bénin (local partners)
• Kinderrechte Afrika e. V. (donations)
• And you? Support this project. Make a donation.

Cover photo: Members of a monitoring committee set up a complaint box at their school that allows students to report sexual violence and harassment, even anonymously. © CIPCRE-Benin