Project profile — Empowering girls and front-line actors against sexual and gender-based violence - Prolongation

• Senegal (100.00%)

• Legal and judicial development:
Legal and judicial development (15130) (15.00%)
Justice, law and order policy, planning and administration (15131) (15.00%)
Human rights (15160) (15.00%)
Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (40.00%)
• Other Social Infrastructure And Services: Social services (incl youth development and women+ children) (16015) (15.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)

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. The project’s 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 for 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) equal empowerment of girls and boys to prevent and act against sexual and gender-based-violence that they may encounter.

Results achieved as of March 2024: (1) 98% of the target for girls and over 100% of the target for boys (Dakar, Fatick, St-Louis) participants in project activities reported to be able to protect themselves and take action in the event of sexual and gender-based violence. The end-of-project target of 90% of girls and 85% of boys has largely been achieved; (2) 100% of the girls and 98% of the boys taking part in the children's advisory committees reported that they are aware of issues relating to their protection and rights. This percentage exceeded the project target of 85% of girls and 80% of boys; (3) 69% of workers in the targeted state sectors who took part in the activities linked to the training kits developed as part of the project declared that they are aware of gender equality. This percentage, up from the baseline of 44%, testifies the understanding of the concept of gender equality and its impact on professional practices as the activities progress. This represents satisfactory progress at this stage of the project towards the 85% target; and (4) 96% of professionals trained felt able to implement rights-respecting practices against an end-of-project target of 80%.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities: Empowering girls and front-line actors against sexual and gender-based violence