Safely at school: reducing risks of school-related gender-based violence for children with disabilities in Sierra Leone

Working in four school communities in Karene District, Sierra Leone, the project aims to articulate experiences, concerns and needs of girls and boys with disabilities regarding school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), to inform co-development of disability-inclusive SRGBV-response workplans.

Key project outcomes:

• Experiences, concerns and needs of girls and boys with disabilities in relation to SRGBV are articulated, and subsequently centred in disability-inclusive SRGBV response plans at participating schools and communities.
• Evidence is generated which influences greater disability inclusion in district and national SRGBV policies and programmes, and greater consideration of SRGBV and safeguarding needs in inclusive education policies and programmes.
• Research capacity of organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) and young people with disabilities is strengthened.

In Sierra Leone, high levels of SRGBV are a profound challenge, driven by deep-rooted social and economic inequalities. Girls and boys with disabilities are at particularly high risk of experiencing SRGBV, but there is little research evidence about their experiences, concerns and needs in relation to SRGBV. As input from children with disabilities is crucial to design effective disability-inclusive policies and interventions, this study uses community-based participatory action research methods to centre the voices of these children in working towards co-development of disability-inclusive SRGBV response action plans in each participating community.

Funded by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, we are working in collaboration with two organisations of persons with disabilities, the African Youths with Disabilities Network and Concern for the Development of Disabled Women and Children. Additionally, in each participating community, two youths with disabilities have joined the study team as young researchers with disabilities, playing a central role in ensuring that children with disabilities feel safe and confident in participating in the study. The active participation of people with disabilities is a core element of this study, as their lived experiences strengthen the research and ensure its relevance to children’s lives.

Study activities consist of participatory focus group discussions, community mapping and photovoice with children with disabilities, and focus group discussions with parents, teachers, community leaders, and other stakeholders. During a participatory action workshop in each community, preliminary findings will be shared for input and inform co-creation of a disability-inclusive SRGBV-response action plan.