Safe communities and schools

Somalia is in a post-conflict state, where the civil war has displaced families and where factors of gender-based violence are multi-causal and complex. The country is mainly patriarchal, meaning that men have a greater influence on decision-making at the household, community, and political levels. According to the Global Database on Violence Against Women, the prevalence of child marriage in Somalia is 35.5%, while that of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is 99.2 %. With higher literacy level for males (50%) compared to females (26%), there is lower enrolment of girls in schools (40%) compared to boys (60%).  It is very common for girls to have to drop out of school to stay at home to assist with household chores or help raise young children. 

This intervention is built on the evidence from the pilot and scale-up phases of UNICEF Communities Care approach, implemented by CISP in Somalia for 11 years. The John Hopkins University evaluations have shown that this approach is effective in catalysing a positive change in social norms that support GBV and has resulted in increased confidence in GBV service providers among communities that took part in the intervention.

Within the research program of FCDO What Works, this mainstreaming project tests transformative approaches to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG) by strengthening institutional capacities of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health to adopt the approach in the long term. It focuses on physical and psychological violence against children in school and at home, on bullying and cyberbullying, on sexual violence in the community and domestic violence against women.

The intervention is aligned with What Works Feminist Principles as: women and girls are meaningfully engaged in the program through consultation and representation at key decision-making levels at home, community, and national levels through the community-led discussions and action plans. The initiative engages 2 women-led feminist organizations that will represent women’s and girl’s voices and priorities at the grassroot level.

The project goal is to contribute to a reduction in violence against women, boys and girls through creation of safer schools and communities by transforming harmful social norms into positive social norms that uphold the dignity, safety and equity for women, boys and girls and their families in Banadir and Galmudug regions of Somalia.

• Creation and support of networks of boys and girls in schools aimed at peer education.
• Creating and supporting community dialogue groups aimed at identifying and challenging harmful social norms.
• Strengthening the offer of Health Centers for survivors.

In detail

• Facilitate a journey of 26 community dialogues between members of women’s, men’s, youth and leader’s groups to identify the beliefs and social norms that justify VAWG, at the end of which the groups take collective action to promote protective norms and behaviours within their community. These discussions will be facilitated by the leaders of the community groups who are themselves trained on the Communities Care guide, supported and mentored by the project experts. The discussions will be gender transformative as the facilitator encourages equal participation from all gender, creates a safe space where women and girls can freely voice their opinions around sensitive topics such as FGM, rape, and child marriage without feeling victimized.
• Facilitate the dialogue between the members of the “boys and girls networks” at school for 18 weeks following the adapted Communities Care guide to help them recognise the types of VAC and acquire self-awareness, self-confidence and the ability to express their own will. Members of the networks in turn implement peer education sessions in schools. The network meetings are facilitated by trained teachers, supported and guided by the project experts.
• Using the findings of national level gendered political and economic analysis, train government and women organizations on social norms change programming in relation to violence against women and children (VAWC) and strengthen their capacities and commitment to monitor/implement social norms change programmes addressing VAWC.
• Develop the capacity of CP and GBV service providers in the districts of intervention to provide appropriate survivor-centred care for VAWC cases.

1. Changed beliefs and social norms justifying violence against women, girls and boys in and around schools among target communities in Banadir and Galmudug regions of Somalia.
2. Increased confidence in child protection and gender-based violence service providers among target communities in Banadir and Galmudug regions of Somalia.