WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will partner with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to support the newly formed Global Partners’ Working Group on School-related Gender-based Violence. Through this $400,000, two-year grant, USAID will work with UNICEF to combat school-related gender-based violence at all levels. By working to defeat this barrier to girls’ education, the program will enable more girls to contribute to their families and societies, a critical step toward ending extreme poverty.

Each year, at least 246 million girls and boys suffer from school-related violence. To combat this, the Global Partners Working Group will strengthen, accelerate, and expand global, regional, and country-level responses to address school-related gender-based violence. The program is aligned with the United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally and the United States Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity.

Commenting on USAID’s work in this area, USAID’s Assistant to the Administrator for the Africa Bureau Eric Postel said, “Reducing school-related gender-based violence is a high priority for USAID in all school systems where we work around the world.”

Co-hosted by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the working group includes 30 of the leading agencies and institutions promoting girls’ education and gender equality. At the national and international levels, the working group will develop and disseminate messages on key policy and programming issues to support collaboration and mobilize resources that will increase the scale and quality of the response.

The program will facilitate and support a knowledge-sharing platform where partners can exchange evidence and good practices on effective approaches to combatting school-related gender-based violence. It will also contribute evidence-informed policy, operational and technical guidance and enhance capacity at the country level.