Girls in Senegal use hip hop to push for political change
Coumba and Maguette write music that tackles the issues girls face in Senegal.
Gender-based violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a violation of human rights. We’re working to transform attitudes, norms and behaviours towards girls and women that perpetuate violence against them.
What is Plan International doing to end violence against women and girls?
We adopt an approach which aims to address GBV in all its forms and manifestations, including work to combat intimate partner violence and violence against women but also specific harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage; female genital mutilation (FGM); forced pregnancy in girls and human trafficking.
We are strengthening our work on new and emerging forms of violence such as technology facilitated gender-based violence and online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Let girls take the lead
We advocate for girls and young women to be at the centre of efforts to eradicate GBV as part of a commitment to a gender-transformative approach. Girls and young women are one of the groups most at risk of gender-based violence and need specific attention from the international community to ensure their right to grow up free from violence is fulfilled.
We oppose patriarchal systems that seek to control the lives and sexuality of girls and women, that give lower status to girls and women and are used to justify violence against them. We recognise that girls and women have the right to bodily autonomy and to control their own sexuality. To end gender-based violence, we believe that these prevailing systems of power must be challenged and changed.
Plan International opposes patriarchal systems that seek to control the lives and sexuality of girls and women, that give lower status to girls and women and are used to justify violence against them.
Anna stands firm against FGM
The strength to say no: one girl’s journey to resisting forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) in Tanzania.
A community-based, gender-transformative approach
Some of our most widespread protection from violence programmes have ending against women and girls at their core.
This includes specific projects on gender-based violence, violence against women, and intimate partner violence, and programmes that work holistically with children, young people, families, communities, leaders, service providers and local and national systems to prevent and reduce violence with a gender-transformative approach.
Melany advocates for girls’ rights and an end to early and forced marriage
Meet the young Dominican woman advocating for girls’ rights, urging the president to help prevent early and forced marriage and teen pregnancy.
To end gender-based violence, the prevailing systems of power must be challenged and changed.
Empowering girls and youth to speak up for change
Examples of our work include Safer Cities for Girls, which empowers girls to speak up about the issues they face in urban areas and emboldens them to speak up for change.
Champions of Change is our global youth engagement programme which encourages boys and young men to identify and challenge harmful, negative masculinities that perpetuate discrimination and violence, whilst empowering girls to defend their rights.
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