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Malala Day is important for girls in the UK, too Malala Day is important for girls in the UK, too
(2 months later)
The debate about girls' access to education was brought to global attention earlier this month, when 12 July was declared Malala Day at the United Nations. This was less than a year after Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head for speaking out about the right for her, and her female peers, to access education. When Malala's story first made the headlines, I was reminded of the utter disbelief I felt during my first trip to the United Nations Convention on the Status of Women in 2010. I was exposed to the global struggle for girls to safely access education; girls' safety was compromised, from the risks of sexual violence they faced on their journey to school to the practice of "breast ironing" to prevent them being perceived by school staff as sexually available.The debate about girls' access to education was brought to global attention earlier this month, when 12 July was declared Malala Day at the United Nations. This was less than a year after Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head for speaking out about the right for her, and her female peers, to access education. When Malala's story first made the headlines, I was reminded of the utter disbelief I felt during my first trip to the United Nations Convention on the Status of Women in 2010. I was exposed to the global struggle for girls to safely access education; girls' safety was compromised, from the risks of sexual violence they faced on their journey to school to the practice of "breast ironing" to prevent them being perceived by school staff as sexually available.
And yet I couldn't help thinking about the risks facing girls and young women in the UK – risks that are often overlooked or minimised during global debates. Back in 2010, a YouGov poll found that sexual bullying and harassment were routine in UK schools, with almost one in three 16‑ to 18-year-old girls stating that they had experienced groping or unwanted sexual touching at school, and nearly one in four saying that teachers never said that unwanted touching or sexual name-calling was unacceptable. Only last month, one young woman wrote a poignant account on the Guardian website of the abuse and threats she faced from her peers when she tried to set up a feminist society in her school – and the lack of protection that was afforded to her in the aftermath.And yet I couldn't help thinking about the risks facing girls and young women in the UK – risks that are often overlooked or minimised during global debates. Back in 2010, a YouGov poll found that sexual bullying and harassment were routine in UK schools, with almost one in three 16‑ to 18-year-old girls stating that they had experienced groping or unwanted sexual touching at school, and nearly one in four saying that teachers never said that unwanted touching or sexual name-calling was unacceptable. Only last month, one young woman wrote a poignant account on the Guardian website of the abuse and threats she faced from her peers when she tried to set up a feminist society in her school – and the lack of protection that was afforded to her in the aftermath.
And for girls who have been excluded from mainstream education, the issue of safety seems even more pressing: I have lost count of the number of accounts I have heard of young women being sent to pupil referral units and being one of very few girls, if not the only one, in a male-dominated environment. In order to navigate these environments, they say they have either fought with the boys or had sex with them – hardly a safe setting for educational achievement.And for girls who have been excluded from mainstream education, the issue of safety seems even more pressing: I have lost count of the number of accounts I have heard of young women being sent to pupil referral units and being one of very few girls, if not the only one, in a male-dominated environment. In order to navigate these environments, they say they have either fought with the boys or had sex with them – hardly a safe setting for educational achievement.
Last year, the End Violence Against Women coalition launched the Schools Safe 4 Girls campaign to encourage local schools to ensure that a commitment to preventing violence against women and girls, and promoting gender equality, was embedded in the school curriculum and policies. While no one would seek to draw a direct comparison between Malala's experience and those of girls in UK schools, it is equally unhelpful to see them as completely distinct. The barriers to girls accessing education exist across the globe. Whether the risks they face are posed by their societies, neighbourhoods, peer groups or families, all girls are entitled to protection.Last year, the End Violence Against Women coalition launched the Schools Safe 4 Girls campaign to encourage local schools to ensure that a commitment to preventing violence against women and girls, and promoting gender equality, was embedded in the school curriculum and policies. While no one would seek to draw a direct comparison between Malala's experience and those of girls in UK schools, it is equally unhelpful to see them as completely distinct. The barriers to girls accessing education exist across the globe. Whether the risks they face are posed by their societies, neighbourhoods, peer groups or families, all girls are entitled to protection.
As we hold other countries to account, it is critical that we shine a light on our own insufficiencies and put plans in place to address them. Presentations I have made to Safer Schools officers recently, and a report published last month on the government's action to prevent violence against women and girls, demonstrate that we still have a long road to travel. Social networking, internet pornography and an increased awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse continue to change and shape the landscape that schools are seeking to manage. Professionals have called for, and require, support to address this sufficiently. For example, some useful guidance on managing "sexting" – the sharing of explicit pictures or video through mobile phones and the internet – have been produced, but this activity requires central co-ordination and oversight to ensure that all schools can use them to best effect. In the absence of co-ordinated support, girls are faced with a postcode lottery of safety in education – surely a gamble that no one wants to take.As we hold other countries to account, it is critical that we shine a light on our own insufficiencies and put plans in place to address them. Presentations I have made to Safer Schools officers recently, and a report published last month on the government's action to prevent violence against women and girls, demonstrate that we still have a long road to travel. Social networking, internet pornography and an increased awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse continue to change and shape the landscape that schools are seeking to manage. Professionals have called for, and require, support to address this sufficiently. For example, some useful guidance on managing "sexting" – the sharing of explicit pictures or video through mobile phones and the internet – have been produced, but this activity requires central co-ordination and oversight to ensure that all schools can use them to best effect. In the absence of co-ordinated support, girls are faced with a postcode lottery of safety in education – surely a gamble that no one wants to take.
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