Gender Based Violence Prevention Program

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE  PREVENTION PROGRAM

GEM ( Girl Education Movement

Pamoja Afya (Health) Initiative’s Gender Based Violence Prevention Program focus at  Adolescent peer-led school-based awareness creation on existing child protection risks. Gender concerns including adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) concerns. The program establishes Girls Education Movement (GEM) clubs to help in combating the multiple gender-based barriers to girls’ education. GEM clubs are trained to raise comprehensive awareness on sexuality education in line with the National Sexuality Education Framework (2018). Covering sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), protection and gender-based violence and response, pregnancy, and forced marriage.  

Furthermore, GEM club members reach out to other boys and girls and raise awareness on the importance of education and to discuss barriers to education for children, especially girls and encourage out of school children to re-enrol. GEM club members reach out to others through awareness sessions. Putting on dramas and music shows held at schools and in community spaces where they share key messages. Information Education and Communication materials like . T-shirts, banners, compound messages or ‘talking walls’ in schools) are produced and distributed in schools

Strengthening of community structures to respond to GBV

Pamoja Afya (Health) Initiative (PAI) empowers Teachers and school-based management committee members and Board of Governors to promote child and adolescent safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) in communities surrounding national parks and tourist destinations in Uganda. Pamoja Afya (Health) Initiative is committed to ensuring that children especially adolescent girls  do not experience harm, abuse, exploitation, or any other form of violence as a result of their being in school. 

This program also establishes a gender- and age-appropriate complaint and feedback mechanism in targeted schools. To ensure girls and boys have confidential ways to provide feedback and meaningfully participate in influencing programming. And support the strengthening of GBV prevention and reporting mechanisms. Feedback boxes are be installed in each of the targeted schools to gather information regarding violations. And/or physical abuse which are referred to partner agencies, legal services, police, and medical support. PAI also follows up with such cases to ensure individuals received appropriate care/services as needed and ensures confidentiality of information.

 GVB Mentoring for parents, boys and girls

PAI’s GBV Prevention program  also trains /mentors Adolescent girls and boys, including those with disabilities, in gender-responsive life skills as well as addressing issues relating to gender roles, power dynamics and attitudes, positive masculinities, conflict resolution, self-protection, and communication skills. The program as well  trains  parents to address concerns of parents that lead them to not prioritize, enroll and/or send their children, especially girls, to schools (such as engagement in domestic chores and household income generation, fear of violence, abuse and/or engage in consensual child related  sexual activities . The program therefore  encourages all parents to participate. But especially parents of young girls, and fathers to motivate them to champion the cause of girls’ education