In order to support the efforts undertaken by the Senegalese State in the field of child protection over the last decade, the IBCR is implementing a project to reduce violence against children in Senegal, in particular sexual and gender-based violence, from the beginning of 2021. Taking into account the country’s context, the initiative also seeks to focus on gender equality and the empowerment of girls in decisions that affect them.
Senegal faces a major challenge: violence against girls and women. More than 55% of households face it, and the number of cases of violence against women registered in the courts has more than doubled in the space of five years. The analysis of the country’s situation highlights the need to strengthen coordination between sectors and the professionalisation of approaches within the child protection system.
Discrimination, inequalities and sexual and gender-based violence are a considerable obstacle to development, governance and respect for human and children’s rights in Senegal.
Some situations of vulnerability affecting girls in Senegal:
- 15% of girls aged between 0 and 14 years are victims of genital mutilation, 72% of whom are under the age of 5.
- At least one in three girls aged 15 to 24 are victims of early and forced marriage.
Nearly 54,837 children were entrusted to marabouts in Koranic schools in the Dakar region in 2014, including 16,758 girls. These talibé girls are often forced to beg and suffer harassment, severe corporal punishment and sometimes sexual abuse and exploitation.
Since 2009, IBCR has been supporting Senegal with several initiatives to strengthen its child protection system. This new project focuses particularly on violence against children.
A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE
The project will run for a period of four years and is based on two pillars:
1- The professionalisation of certain child protection sectors: the security forces (police and gendarmerie), the judiciary, the social sector and the penitentiary sector.
2- Reinforcing the role and taking into account the voices of children in the prevention of and action against the situations of vulnerability they face.
THE SECTORS INVOLVED
In line with our participatory and interdisciplinary approach, this project mobilises :
- Senegalese institutions from the four targeted sectors
- Civil society organisations accompanying children and young people and international child protection NGOs present in Senegal.
THE STAGES OF THE PROJECT
1- Assessment of the situation
2- Development of procedures
3- Conception of training kits
4- Creation of a pool of certified trainers
5- Follow-up of the first courses taught by the schools
6- Development of an advocacy strategy to sustain change
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
Through the implementation of the project the IBCR and its partners aim, among others, to :
- Give children access to services that are more respectful of the principles of their protection and active participation.
- Provide stakeholders in the child protection system with adapted tools and increased skills in the area of sexual and gender-based violence.
- Empower children in the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence by improving their knowledge and skills to promote and defend their rights.
The project kick-off workshop took place in Dakar on 23 and 25 February. This event brought together more than 75 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Women, Family, Gender and Child Protection, the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and Social Action and the Ministry of Education. Representatives of civil society, technical and financial partners and other actors working for children’s rights were also widely represented. See the press release of the event
Find out more on our project page: Empowering girls and front-line actors against sexual and gender-based violence
Discover the presentation brochure of the project (in French):
This project is possible thanks to the financial support of:
Stay informed, join our community by subscribing to our newsletter!