Malawi’s School Safety Model inspires Regional Change

When education and gender focal points from South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi, in October 2023, they came with a shared mission: To learn how to end school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) and create safer learning environments for all children. 

The three-day learning visit, hosted by the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) under the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub, proved to be more than just an exchange of ideas.

It became a catalyst for transformative action.

Delegates witnessed firsthand how multi-sectoral collaboration, community engagement, and policy alignment could work in tandem to transform schools into violence-free zones. The question that remained was simple: What would they do with these lessons once they returned home?

What emerged was a powerful demonstration of how peer learning can translate into concrete action.

In June 2025, during a follow-up virtual meeting, the answer became clear. Country teams reconvened online to share their progress, and their updates painted a picture of growing ownership and promising change.

Zambia

Zambia's delegation leveraged the momentum from the Malawi visit to finalize and disseminate Child Safeguarding Guidelines for the Education Sector. 

Key milestones include:

• Safeguarding Schools: In January 2025, the Ministry of Education officially launched the Child Safeguarding Guidelines (available soon), establishing clear procedures and standards to prevent abuse and promote the best interests of children.
• Developing accessible protective laws:  Zambia is in the process of making  protective laws more accessible and has drafted a child-friendly version of the Children's Code with support from UNICEF and other stakeholders. Under the Keeping Girls in School Initiative, Zambia piloted an SRGBV Empowerment Toolkit and Implementation Manual, ensuring practical resources reached those who needed them most.
• Youth-Led Awareness Campaigns and School Club Engagement: In 2024, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF,  mobilized young people as champions of change. 100 youth advocates were trained in child safeguarding and digital skills to combat online child sexual abuse and exploitation. These young leaders have already reached over 25,600 learners through peer-led sessions. Additionally, SRGBV awareness campaigns were facilitated in over 11,000 schools, with school clubs serving as vital platforms for dialogue and behavior change.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of SRGBV Implementation: To ensure accountability, the Ministry conducted joint monitoring visits with UNICEF and the Government of the Republic of Zambia to 10 schools, assessing the implementation of child safeguarding. A comprehensive evaluation of the SRGBV Case Management System was also conducted to identify its strengths and areas for improvement.

Uganda

Uganda emerged from the Malawi visit with a strong commitment to scale up its response to SRGBV and has implemented the following initiatives:

• Policy Alignment: The country has aligned its efforts with the Safe to Learn benchmarks and actively disseminated key policies, including the Gender in Education Policy (2016), the National Child Policy (2020), and the Education Act 13 (2008). Key circulars on teenage pregnancy prevention and menstrual health management were widely shared and implemented.
• Training and Capacity Building: Recognizing that lasting change begins with teachers, Uganda integrated SRGBV modules into both pre-service and in-service primary teacher training curricula. The Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES) also expanded training for senior female and male teachers on gender-based violence and sexual reproductive health.
• Learner Empowerment: The MoES has actively engaged students as active agents of change through councils across universities, teacher training colleges, and health training institutions. Life skills training programs were institutionalized through vibrant school clubs, empowering learners to promote safe and respectful environments.
• Multi-Sectoral Coordination: A national campaign titled End Defilement, Early Marriages, Failed Parenthood, and Teenage Pregnancy brought together ministries of education, health, and gender. District-level teenage pregnancy surveillance systems and adolescent-friendly services in schools further strengthened Uganda's comprehensive approach.

South Sudan

Operating in a complex context, due to armed conflict and climate shocks,  South Sudan demonstrated resilience and leadership in driving SRGBV interventions forward since the Malawi visit through:

• Strategic Planning and Integration: Senior ministry officials who participated in the Malawi visit briefed their colleagues and developed a draft implementation plan, integrating SRGBV into existing gender directorate structures to enhance efficiency and avoid duplication. Collaborative planning with partners and stakeholders supported the design of pilot interventions.
• Challenges and Funding Alignment: Despite facing logistical and funding delays, the country successfully incorporated SRGBV activities—including formation of a technical working group—into the GPE System Transformation Grant, ensuring implementation support beginning in July 2025. This strategic integration ensures sustainability and demonstrates how countries can advance critical agendas even amid resource constraints.

Malawi

Leading by example, as the host country, Malawi continued to strengthen its national architecture for safe, inclusive, and protective school environments through:

• National Safe Schools Framework: A landmark achievement came in January 2025 when  the government began the process of developing the National Safe Schools Framework, which outlines comprehensive standards and interventions for all schools to ensure learner safety, dignity, and well-being.
• Expansion of Police Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to Cover Emergencies: The Malawi Police Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, revised its Standard Operating Procedures for the Safe Schools Program to address SRGBV and protection during emergencies such as natural disasters or conflict-induced displacement.
• Scaling Up the ETT Program Using Teacher Champions: Malawi is scaling its Empowerment and Transformation Training (ETT) initiative by training teacher champions to model inclusive and child-sensitive pedagogy, reducing reliance on external instructors while building local ownership. 

The journey from Malawi to meaningful action illustrates the power of learning and peer exchange. When countries share more than just policies, but share their lived experiences, successes, challenges, and practical strategies, they create pathways for authentic transformation.

This progress reflects the collective leadership of the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub, UNICEF  Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, African Union's Pan-African Institute for Education for Development, UNESCO's International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa in facilitating cross-country dialogue, strengthening technical capacity, and advancing policy action. Their support has been instrumental in promoting safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments where all children can thrive free from violence.