The effects of SRGVB on youth, including children, are considerable. Beyond the suffering and health consequences, violence has negative repercussions on school performance and long-term educational outcomes. The workshop participants in Senegal pointed out that “SRGBV constitute an obstacle to education and reduce the return on national investment in education. The education sector has a role to play in responding to school-related gender-based violence. It is up to the sector to fulfil this role and take action accordingly.”

Response to SRGBV involves actions at different levels, including curricula, teacher training, sectoral policies and regulatory provisions. In order to evaluate the responses, UNESCO has developed an analysis and imaging tool that has been used by the Institute for Demographic Training and Research (IFORD). The sharing of results across the three countries has provided valuable information to complement the diagnoses. In particular, IFORD now has a more comprehensive list of national documents on the four components, and can identify good practices to be shared among the three countries. Building on these elements, workshop participants were able to decide together on next steps to strengthen education responses to SRGBV. In particular, UNESCO will support ministries in the development of harmonized teacher training modules, and propose concrete solutions to strengthen sectoral policies, regulation, and classroom teacher practice.

The three workshops, organized with the support of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France (MEAE), in collaboration with UNESCO's Multisectoral Regional Offices for West Africa (Sahel) and Central Africa (ECCAS), the ministries in charge of education of each country and the Cameroonian and Togolese National Commissions for UNESCO, took place on 23-24 August (Togo), 29-30 August (Cameroon) et 5-6 September (Senegal).