Raising Voices

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From May 21 to June 20, 2024, the VAC team ran an SMS campaign on the consequences of corporal punishment while providing teachers with tips on anger management and resisting the temptation of using corporal punishment on learners. The campaign was building on the positive discipline campaign to respond to challenges teachers were experiencing as they tried to use positive disciplinary measures.

Through the Good School program, we support over 1,000 schools to create a violence-free learning environment. One of the ideas that the program promotes is the use of positive discipline. However, teachers have struggled with transitioning out of using corporal punished due to getting angered by learners’ misconduct and repeated misbehavior, among other challenges. Upon learning these barriers, we designed a one-month SMS campaign to support teachers who desire to change. The campaign was crowned by an e-newsletter that was shared with the teachers via WhatsApp. From the SMS campaign, we have learned that teachers appreciate the tips, use creative alternatives that work for them, and recommend Raising Voices run the same campaigns with parents.

 

As a learning organization, we relish opportunities to take stock, reflect and draw out collective insights emerging from our work. In this spirit, we are excited to share our 2023 Annual Report. This one is extra special – the inaugural year of our new 2023-2027 strategy! Take a peak to learn all about last year’s journey in VAW and VAC prevention. We also recount highlights from our organizational learning and communications, and reflect on the big takeaways that carried us into 2024.

In 2023, Raising Voices signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development (MGLSD) and the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) to promote the well-being of children and promote quality education by preventing violence against children in schools.

The MOUs aim to strengthen Raising Voices’ relationship with the two ministries to prevent violence against children (VAC) in and through schools and to advocate for the rollout of activities from the Good School Toolkit (GST) to all primary and secondary schools in Uganda. The GST is Raising Voices’s approach to supporting schools to prevent VAC.

Entering an MOU with the MOES and with the MGLSD leverages our influencing position to contribute to VAC prevention and school-related policies and discussions, benefit from knowledge sharing, and tap into the Ministries’ vast network to build synergies for smoother implementation of the GST and VAC prevention.

We are excited to share that we will be at the ISPCAN Edinburgh Congress 2023 taking place from 24-27 September! We look forward to knowledge exchange and learning on violence against children prevention, and connecting with activists, practitioners, researchers, donors and policymakers attending the space!
Our Learning Coordinator, Tvisha Nevatia, will be a panellist at the symposium titled “Survivor, activist and practitioner leadership in the knowledge landscape for childhood sexual violence solutions”, along with partners from the BRAVE movement, Autonomous Women’s Center, SVRI, and University of Edinburgh.
We are also thrilled to launch our new publication in this space: “Raising Voices Feminist Approach to Learning”. At Raising Voices, we aspire to infuse feminist values across all our Learning initiatives. This resource provides an overview of the seven principles we use to guide our learning to prevent violence, and how we bring each to life in our work. Find it here!  https://raisingvoices.org/resources/raising-voices-feminist-approach-to-learning/

Uganda is one of the countries that outlawed the use of corporal punishment in educational institutions. The Children (Amendment) Act, 2016 prohibits corporal punishment in schools.

Despite the laws, corporal punishment is still used as a way of disciplining learners in schools, and thus the implementation of protective policies seems to be left to the “goodwill” of adults while government’s attention remains limited to severe cases that attract media coverage.

Given this background, on Friday 28 April 2023, Raising Voices together with other civil society organizations, and the Ministry of Education & Sports launched the Positive Discipline Coalition to popularize the concept and practice of positive discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment in Ugandan schools and communities. See link to media coverage.

The Positive Discipline Coalition brings together individuals and organizations who are passionate about preventing violence against children to raise awareness in schools and communities about the dangers of corporal punishment while offering the solution in the use of positive discipline.

 

AB anner with hand prints in blue, red, and green. that says "The power is in your hands to nurture and not to hutr! Learn about how you can discipline children without using violence. Join the Positive Discipline Coalition..." Logos of participating organizations line the bottom of the banner.

We are excited to share our 2022 Annual Report where we highlight innovations, challenges and accomplishments across our work. Explore all the details of our Practice, Learning and Influencing initiatives in 2022. We also reflect on organizational milestones and pivotal moments as we concluded our 2018-2022 strategic period.

Are you working to support activism and prevent violence against children (VAC) in your communities? If so, please check out our our latest resource: the Community Activism Toolkit (CAT). We are excited to introduce you to this tool, which provides organizations and individual activists with practical activities to mobilize communities for VAC prevention. Have a look inside–we believe that you will find some inspiring ideas you can use and adapt in your VAC prevention work.

Raising Voices would like to appreciate all of you helping us learn, grow and exchange through our Twitter account and online activism. Please join in the conversation here!

After a several months long, collaborative and meaningful process, we are excited to share our 2023-2027 Strategy with friends, partners, and colleagues in the violence prevention space. We have a bold vision for the next five years and can’t wait to get started on the next step in our journey, supporting safer and more flourishing environments for women and children.

Our YouTube page is filled with videos going into depth about the work we do to prevent violence in schools and communities! Our latest resources include a video describing self and collective care, as well as an exploration of the circles of influence we use in SASA! Together. 

Visit our page here and let us know what you think!