Empowering girls and front-line actors against sexual and gender-based violence

This project aims to strengthen the protection of girls’ rights in Senegal so that girls can better address violence against them. The project focuses on increasing the professionalization of key stakeholders in the child protection system (security forces prison staff justice system staff and social workers) by targeting the training procedures and operating methods of their associated professional bodies. The project also aims to provide girls and boys with skills to defend and advocate for their rights. The project is rolled out in 3 regions in Senegal including Dakar. Project activities include: (1) developing disseminating and integrating operating procedures for each targeted sector (security forces prison staff justice system workers and social workers); (2) providing certified training for workers in each group aimed at strengthening their key competencies for interventions involving girls; (3) supporting advocacy towards sectoral departments governing security judiciary and social services to support the implementation of a gender-based approach to prevent and combat violence against children; and (4) implementing activities to build girls’ capacities and engagement and supporting their actions to raise awareness in each project implementing community The project aims to reach 550 000 girls boys women and men by building the capacities of 5 270 change agents (including 1 379 women and girls) who work in the child protection system and local communities.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased performance of front-line actors from police social justice and prison services in working to prevent and take action against sexual and gender-based violence; and (2) equally empowered girls and boys to prevent and act against sexual and gender-based-violence that they may encounter.