Supporting Girls to be Safe to Learn (2019-2029)

Global Affairs Canada is a key partner of Safe to Learn, supporting efforts to make schools safer for children – especially girls – around the world. 

Through its support, Safe to Learn and UNICEF are helping governments strengthen policies, improve coordination, and take practical action to prevent and respond to violence in and around schools. 

At the global level, Canada’s investment supports the Safe to Learn partnership, enabling shared learning, global advocacy, and the spread of proven approaches across countries. Together, this support helps turn commitments into action, so that every child can learn in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment. 

In West and Central Africa, gender-based violence in and around schools continues to limit girls’ ability to learn, stay in school, and thrive. Supporting Girls to be Safe to Learn is a UNICEF multi-country programme in the region, supported by Global Affairs Canada, that helps keep girls in school by strengthening protection and response in education settings, supporting community action, and expanding safe learning opportunities for out-of--school girls.

Where we work

The multi-country programme is implemented by UNICEF in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Togo, with a global component delivered through Safe to Learn, that supports learning, coordination and advocacy across the region and beyond.

Phase 1 (2020–2021): Building evidence and strengthening systems

From January 2020 to December 2021, UNICEF implemented the first phase of Supporting Girls to be Safe to Learn, under its G7 Charlevoix commitment to quality education for girls, adolescent girls and women.

Across the four countries, Phase 1 supported:

• Stronger school-level prevention and response mechanisms.
• Gender-transformative and conflict-sensitive education policies and practices.
• Community engagement, including parents and local leaders, to protect children from violence.
• Expanded non-formal education opportunities for girls who were out of school or at risk of dropping out.

Phase 2 Scale-Up (2025–2029): Deepening impact and regional learning

The programme is now being scaled up to deepen impact across the same four countries, while strengthening regional learning, coordination, and advocacy.

In this second phase, countries are using Safe to Learn tools and resources to build capacity of governments to embed violence prevention and response in education systems.

This current phase focuses on:

• Strengthening laws, policies, and sector frameworks to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) in and around schools.
• Expanding school-based prevention and response measures.
• Supporting parents, teachers, children, local authorities, and community leaders to challenge harmful gender and social norms.
• Increasing access for out-of-school girls to pathways for reintegration, education, and skills development.

Advancing regional and global knowledge and learning to inform wider action on safe learning, including documentation and sharing results with the support of the Safe to Learn partnership.