Project profile — Accelerating the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence Against Girls and Adolescents in Benin

• Benin (100.00%)

• Population Policies/Programmes And Reproductive Health: Population policy and administrative management (13010) (5.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (95.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Youth Issues (principal objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This initiative contributes to ending harmful practices and violence against girls and adolescents, including child marriage, in Benin. To achieve this, UNICEF works to equip girls and women better to take ownership of their rights and access appropriate social and protective services. Project activities include: (1) strengthening Benin’s capacity to respond to sexual and gender-based violence against girls and adolescents; and (2) providing technical assistance to key government structures at both national and sub-national levels. The project also works with communities to bring about gender transformative behaviour change, by mobilizing and empowering community actors to fight against harmful traditional practices and support girls’ and adolescents’ rights.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased synergy between health and protection services to combat gender-based violence against girls and adolescents; (2) improved delivery of care and prevention services for girls and adolescents at risk or victims of violence by staff trained and sensitive to the rights of girls and adolescents; and (3) increased participation of adolescents and young women and men, women’s associations, watch committees, religious leaders and families in the defence and protection of the rights of girls and adolescents.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) improved prevention and care services for girls and teenagers at risk and victims of violence since the launch of the project in 2022, and assisted a total of 117,919 children and parents, including 49,010 girls and adolescents; (2) strengthened technical skills of 602 protection and health agents (including 309 women). This allowed them to be able to provide quality gender-sensitive services to children, especially girls and adolescents; (3) increased synergy between health and protection services, Benin's 6 integrated centers for the care of victims of gender-based violence (GBV). The project also provided materials and equipment and strengthened technical skills. This enabled the integrated care of 2,494 gender-based violence survivors; and (4) provided with educational tools to 8,936 children, teenagers and members of women's associations in 2023. In turn, they equipped and mobilized 60,805 schoolchildren against gender-based violence in 2023. This includes 36,430 girls and adolescents.

• Proactive disclosure