June, 2016: I visited Addis Ababa as part of a three-member team (with another consultant and a UNICEF staff) for a review of the UNICEF Ethiopia country office’s girls’ education programming.
As part of the review we met with the entire education section team in the country as well as visited a couple of schools supported by UNICEF.
Two of the main challenges facing girls trying to access education services are exposure and vulnerability to gender based violence and non-availability of facilities and supplies (pads, soaps, etc.) for safe, clean and dignified menstrual hygiene management (MHM). During our mission we visited a couple of schools. One of these schools had tried to address both these issues.
First, it had purpose built a separate, clean, private cabin for girls to use, while during their menstrual cycle. They also had a separate room where a staff member was supposed to be available at all times during school days. The staff was trained on MHM and GBV issues and the room was stocked with menstrual hygiene supplies (sanitary pads, soaps, MHM training materials, etc.). The teachers also had a code of conduct around school related gender based violence reporting and a formal GBV reports journal. UNICEF had provided support in developing the code of conduct (with guidance in both English and Amharic, the majority language in Addis Ababa).
Photos from the primary school below show the SRGBV Code of Conduct as well as the MHM facilities and supplies at the school.
Asif Saeed Memon 