Cameroon’s Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, has delivered a stern warning regarding the escalating issue of gender-based violence within educational institutions.
In a recent communication directed at Regional Delegates, Divisional Delegates, Education Secretaries, and Heads of both Government and Private Institutions, Professor Nalova Lyonga expressed her deep concern over the rising instances of physical, psychological, and moral violence in schools.
“Some of these acts are gender-based. They are committed by students, teachers, and administrative staff. Beyond the unnoticeable suffering and health consequences, gender-based violence causes anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression, with negative impacts on school performances,” emphasized Nalova Lyonga in the release.
In an effort to foster a safe and supportive environment while combating this increasingly prevalent issue, Nalova Lyonga outlined the following measures:
- Establishment of a local coordination team dedicated to fighting violence by creating functional mechanisms for the prevention, response, support, and referral of students/teenagers.
- Capacity-building initiatives for teachers, guidance counselors, Youth and Animation Counselors, and other educational institutions on Gender-Based Violence in schools (GBVMS).
- Implementation of secure procedures to collect information, including mini-surveys, on cases of violence, with collaboration from administrative, security, and municipal authorities.
- Training and awareness campaigns targeting teachers, school personnel, parents, and students on expected principles, values, and attitudes. The prohibition of behavior that may lead to disciplinary and/or legal consequences.
- Prohibition of the publication or distribution of private papers, recordings, drawings, photographs, films, or any other device reproducing sexual images of a student, with or without their consent, or any other person.
- Encouragement of student victims to disclose information, preferably in writing, directly to the appointed contact person.
- Counseling services, with referrals to appropriate external services such as legal, psychosocial, and health services for victims.
The Minister of Secondary Education emphasized that non-compliance with these measures would result in severe sanctions according to the law. The outlined steps aim to create a safer and more secure learning environment for all students, free from gender-based violence and its detrimental consequences.
