Preventing and Combating Sexual or Sexist Violence Against Children in Burkina Faso

The project aims to reduce sexual and sexist violence among girls and boys in Burkina Faso particularly in conflict-affected areas. The project will seek to increase the coordination and performance of key actors in the child protection system such as state actors in the defense (military) security (police) social work health education and justice sectors and will aim to improve practices and increase the capacity of communities (community protection networks civil society and children) to prevent and respond to sexual and sexist violence. Project activities include: (1) developing and validating standardized and coordinated procedures for responding to sexual and sexist violence against children especially girls for involved state professionals (defence security social work health education and justice); (2) developing courses and training kits for state structures on the implementation of children's rights and the differentiated accompaniment of sexual and sexist violence against children; and (3) forming advisory committees of children girls and boys to support the implementation of the project and contribute to its governance.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved practices of state professionals in the targeted sectors (defence security social work health education and justice) adapted to the rights of the child and the specific needs of girls in response to sexual and gender-based violence against girls and boys in Burkina Faso; and (2) increased community protection networks civil society associations and children especially girls playing a greater role in preventing and responding to sexual and sexist violence against girls and boys.