Location: Ibadan, Oyo State

Sponsored by: Ford Foundation

Overview

The Lend a Voice Project employed a community-based dialogue approach to raise awareness and engage key stakeholders on the urgent need to address School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV). Hosted within various primary school environments, the project created safe spaces for open discussion, collective reflection, and strategic action planning among educators, parents, community leaders, and other local actors.

The dialogues were designed to shift attitudes, challenge harmful norms, and encourage a collective commitment to creating safer, more inclusive school environments for children, especially girls.

 Objectives

• To sensitize community stakeholders about the prevalence, risks, and long-term impact of SRGBV
• To foster collaborative dialogue on practical steps for preventing and responding to SRGBV in schools
• To strengthen school-community partnerships in safeguarding the rights and well-being of pupils

 Impact

• Increased community awareness and ownership of SRGBV prevention efforts
• Enhanced stakeholder collaboration and responsiveness to child protection concerns
• Strengthened advocacy for safe learning spaces across participating schools

The Lend a Voice Project demonstrated that community dialogue is a powerful tool for igniting change and mobilizing local solutions to protect children from violence in educational settings.