Training volunteers and partners to respond to school-related gender-based violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a worldwide problem that raises public health and human rights concerns. In the Peace Corps 2012 Status Reports, of the 66 posts that submitted data, nearly half reported that Volunteers worked with local partners to organize activities aimed at reducing the incidence of gender-based violence, especially in rural areas. The Student-Friendly Schools (SFS) training package was designed to prepare Peace Corps staff to train education Volunteers and their work partners to respond to school-related gender-based violence. Because schools replicate and reproduce gender attitudes, and teachers often reinforce negative gender norms unintentionally, this training targets members of the education community in a thoughtful and culturally appropriate way to engage participants in how to prevent and respond to GBV.