By Hindaty Traore, Girls’ Project Manager

As we work to help girls succeed in school, we know a good relationship between girls and boys is very important for the success of girls. In Mali, school-based violence is a large-scale problem with harmful consequences for girls, but also for society as a whole. The violence suffered by girls affects their learning, their physical and mental health, their personality and their future. That’s why February’s theme for the Girls’ Project meetings was Stopping School-based Violence.

In talking with our girls, I noticed that some girls feel threatened and belittled by boys — so much so that some are even forced to drop out of school for fear of being bullied. But this problem can’t be solved by talking with our girls alone — the boys must be part of change as well! As a result, we deemed it necessary to talk about this violence and bulling with the girls and the boys at the same time. Our goal was to raise the boy's’ awareness and make them understand the consequences their actions can have on the future of their sisters who are the girls…because in Mali we are all brothers and sisters.

In the discussion we made sure to hear from both boys and girls. For example, Awa Dakouo a 7th grade girl student at Judge Memorial Middle School in Sankama told the story of how she was so afraid to have a fight with a boy that one day she missed class. She was afraid because the boy wanted to hit her but thanks to the intervention of a teacher, she was able to return to school. Awa shared that she did not have the strength to fight back herself so she was grateful to the teacher, but she was also angry to have to miss out on school. Her story helped the boy students see the impact of bullying.

From the boys’ side, Aguibou Doumbia, who is in 8th grade, explained that he realized he had been doing certain bullying and teasing behaviors toward girls that he did not know could negatively affect a girl’s future. Through this intervention he and the other boys promise to treat the girls like their own sisters.

As a group, the boys of Judge Memorial Middle School said they would now like to ensure that all students without exception can finish school to help their families and contribute to the development of their communities. Why? “We are girls and boys, the future of our village and it is up to us to make this village the most enviable of villages,” says Aguibou Doumbia.

School violence is a violation of the rights of children and adolescents, including their rights to education and health. This is why it was really necessary to discuss this subject with the boys as well as the girls. This meeting was very fruitful because the girls who went through this will now feel comfortable and fulfilled at school and the boys will understand their own role in their sisters’ futures just a little better.