Youth committed to combating gender-based violence in Cape Verde

Schools awareness workshops on Sal island have been very well received.

The team led by the coach of Santiago and Boa Vista , Filipe Pires, successfully delivered six awareness workshops on gender violence in dating, aimed at students from 4th year of ESO to 2nd year of Bachillerato on September 25th and 26th.

The sessions held at the Escola Secundaria Olavo Moniz, in the city of Espargos, and at the Complexo Educativo Manoel António Martins, in Santa María, were a great success!

The activities began with an improvised theatrical performance by four students, in which three boys assumed different roles —the “cocky one”, the respectful one and the annoying one— to try to win over a female classmate.

The activity aimed to show that not all forms of care are healthy and that toxic attitudes should be a warning sign.

After the initial activity, the difference between sex and gender was explained , and then the concept of gender violence and its different manifestations were addressed: physical, psychological, sexual and patrimonial.

The team placed special emphasis on dating violence, showing how many women do not identify that they suffer gender violence because there is no physical aggression, when in reality psychological violence usually appears first , through control or threats.

Another topic discussed was Cape Verdean legislation on gender-based violence , highlighting that the Penal Code classifies it as a public crime. This means that everyone is obligated to report any situation of violence they witness or become aware of; failure to do so makes us complicit.

The sessions concluded with an activity that emphasized the idea that anyone can be a victim or a perpetrator , and that violence does not discriminate based on social class, age, skin color, country, or gender. The final message: we are all responsible for changing the situation.

In total, nearly 200 students participated . The initiative was very well received by students, teachers, and school management teams.

These workshops mark the beginning of a broader journey , which will continue to develop on the five islands where we are present : Boa Vista, Fogo, Sal, Santiago and Santo Antão.