Protecting dreams: Teachers taking a stand against school-related gender-based violence

Mr. Friday Nkonde is among 300 in-service teachers from Chinsali District who have been equipped with practical skills to identify, prevent and respond to gender-based violence affecting learners through the Connect with Respect training, an initiative being implemented by UNESCO in partnership with the Ministry of Education through Spotlight Initiative 2.0 funded by the Government of Ireland.

The training forms part of a broader rollout across Eastern and Muchinga provinces covering Chinsali, Isoka, Katete and Chipangali districts, where 1,200 teachers have been trained to prevent School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) and promote positive, gender-responsive learning environments. The intervention is expected to directly benefit approximately 84,000 learners, with each trained teacher reaching an average of 70 learners in their respective schools. By strengthening teacher capacity to identify, prevent and respond to violence, the programme is creating safer schools, reducing barriers to learning, and helping ensure that children, especially girls and other vulnerable learners, can remain in school and reach their full potential.

School-Related Gender-Based Violence remains a significant barrier to quality education worldwide. It includes acts or threats of physical, sexual and psychological violence that occur in and around schools, often driven by harmful gender norms, stereotypes and unequal power dynamics.

For many children, school should be a place of safety, learning and belonging. Yet for some, violence, bullying, harassment and abuse transform classrooms into spaces of fear. The consequences are severe, affecting learners’ mental health, attendance, academic performance and long-term development.