Concord Times (Freetown)
Ibrahim Tarawallie
20 November 2008
Freetown — Country director of plan Sierra Leone has said in Freetown that sexual violence forms a major barrier to girls' access to and completion of good quality education.
Fadimata Alainchar told journalists that sexual violence was a powerful factor which influences parents to keep girls out of school.
"Victim of sexual violence suffer physical and psychological trauma and are at a risk of sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS," she said.
She noted that the 'learn without fear' campaign which is to be launch by her organization on Friday would challenge the culture of complacency that surrounds violence against children in school.
"For us in Plan, we consider it as a crime. Therefore having sexual relations with children in school for whatever reason is totally wrong, unjustifiable and unacceptable," she said.
Alainchar said the 'learn without fear' campaign was in line with plan's vision of a world where children can go to school and receive quality education without fear or threat of violence.
"Tackling violence in schools is an important step towards meeting the world's commitment to both the EFA and the MDGs that have emphasis on universal completion of primary education," she said.
She said the campaign would be focusing on three of the most common and damaging forms of violence namely; sexual abuse, bullying and corporal punishment.
"In Sierra Leone, sexual abuse of girl-children takes place against the background of a culture of impunity. Often is the fathers and male relatives of the victims who get compensation when a girl child is raped or sexually assaulted while the offender is acquitted," she said.
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