How best to fight against gender-based violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy in schools? This was the object of a sensitisation session organised by the United Nations for some 60 teachers, supervisors, youth workers, directors of primary schools and members of School Management Committees on Saturday, 16 November 2013 at the hall of the Secondary Modern School in Guiglo, situated at 530 km west of Abidjan.



Presentations made by United Nations personnel focused on "children's rights", "early pregnancy in schools", "The consequences of GBV, especially female genital mutilation", "Involvement of teaching authorities", "Impact of HIV/AIDS on young people", while the judge of

Guiglo Court, Marcel Hien, talked on the "the legal consequences for perpetrators of GBV".



During their different presentations, the UN personnel and Judge Hien, appealed to participants to be more responsible in dealing with issues linked to GBV, HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy. "This sensitisation is not the place to judge what teachers do, it is rather an occasion to inform you on the problems in an effort to try to decrease the alarming numbers linked to these issues," said the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The law will punish all those responsible for all forms of violence, said the judge. "It is not unusual to see those who are responsible for taking care of children in court accused of having committed such acts,"he added.



The participants, who expressed their appreciation for the presentations and the discussions which followed, said they would like to receive such training regularly. "We have learnt a lot and we would like such sessions to be organised for our colleagues in the villages," said Gbeada Sekoue, a teacher. For his part the Director of Studies in a private school in Guiglo, Gaston Zoh, said he would like to see issues considered as taboo, such as female genital mutilation, discussed with people in surrounding villages.

Speaking on behalf of the local administrative authorities, the secretary-general of the préfecture, Marc Aoulou Assamoi, and the Regional Director of Education, Konaté Alassane, thanked the UN for its support and appealed to education specialists to grasp the truth of the situation. "They should denounce such practices which do not honour your profession. I urge you to change your attitude to these problems so that things can change," said the secretary-general of the préfecture.



It should be noted that another sensitisation session is planned by the United Nations for secondary school pupils in Guiglo on the same issues.

A musical group from the local secondary school and an artistic group from the public primary school in Guiglo gave performances which were much appreciated by the public.