School gender based violence report launched by NGOs

Sierra Leone report says teachers are the main perpetrators of sexual abuses and exploitation in schools, forcing and coercing girls into sexual intercourse in exchange for better grades, gifts, or money.

By Alhaji Manika Kamara

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE (Awoko Newspaper) April 14, 2011 -- In a bid to discourage the spread of violence against children in schools and communities and to develop a better nation, four international NGOs have decided to form a coalition to investigate the causes of such violations and to come up with their report, was launched past Friday at the Miatta Conference Hall.

In giving an overview of the report, ‘Give us a chance’, Mariam Murray, Program Support Manager Plan Sierra Leone, stated that violence is a major threat to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Dakar Education For All (EFA) targets, and overall social and economic development. There have been global and national initiatives aimed at addressing violence, particularly among children, and promoting zero tolerance for violence.

She disclosed that a total of one thousand, three hundred and twelve pupils, of which six hundred and forty-five were girls and six hundred and sixty-seven boys were randomly selected from 123 primary, junior and senior secondary schools across seven districts including the Western Area to ensure national representation.

She said that a coalition of international NGOs working in education and gender-based violence (GBV) was established in Sierra Leone in December 2009, comprising Plan Sierra Leone, Concern Worldwide, IBIS and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The member organizations of the coalition realized the dangers of violence in the education and well being of students, particularly girls, and work very closely with partners both from government and civil society organization to prevent school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV).

Furthermore, she said that rape is most likely to take place within the home and community settings. However, school-related rape incidents contribute to 30 percent of the cases. Madam Murray disclosed that teachers are the main perpetrators of sexual abuses and exploitation that take place within the school setting, forcing and coercing girls’ pupils into sexual intercourse in exchange for better grades, gifts or money.

Augustine Allieu, Director Plan Sierra Leone, spoke on behalf of the four organizations that form the coalition. He said much needs to be done in relation to children particularly in Africa and indeed Sierra Leone. He maintained that failure to make an equal and more just world has resulted in the most intolerable of situations. Situations such as high school drop-out rates, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, child labour, rape and other forms of sexual abuses.

Furthermore, he maintained that to abuse children on the basis of their age, sex and gender is morally indefensible, economically, politically and socially unsupportable. We need to give children and more so girls a chance to grow well in societies that respect their rights and dignity. "Indeed, the time to act is now and we must act decisively and urgently", Mr. Allieu said.

Representing the children, Ya Marie Jah, disclosed that GBV is the most common violence among men and women in schools and communities. She cited sexual violence, bullied, corporal punishment, and psychological torture as examples of such crimes.

She added that sex for grades is on the increase in schools, as teachers force girls into such acts, Fear of such punishment by pupils has led to the increase in the number of girl child drop-out in schools.

In launching the SRGBV report, the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Dennis Sandy, said he knows much about women and children and believe that all the women inside the hall have testimonies of their experiences on such an issue. He added that the situation is not pleasant for school children. The entire school environment is not good enough for school going pupils especially girls. The character of teachers is not good enough, they have to think about their integrity that has a lot to do with them.

He encouraged members of the public to make known to Paramount Chiefs that their ideology of having a young girl as a wife every year is not right. "They should not use their office as a means of exploiting the rights and future of these girls".

According to Dr Sandy, the government is very much concerned about how to minimize or discourage this act in the society. It is not the responsibility of children to fetch water, firewood for their teachers.

"Most often than not, children are saying mummy, daddy we are not going to school, but they are afraid to explain the exact reasons for that. They are facing embarrassment in their schools". A child by definition is any person below the age of 18 years according to the Minister.

He further encouraged school authorities to transform the present school environment to that of the 1960s and70s when there was discipline.