Benin/Preventing sexual harassment in schools: INF on an awareness-raising tour of agricultural high schools

From September 22 to 26, 2025, a delegation from the Institut National de la Femme (INF), led by its President, Me Huguette BOKPÈ GNACADJA, conducted an awareness-raising tour of five technical agricultural high schools in Benin. The aim: to prevent gender-based violence and combat sexual harassment in schools, a real obstacle to the development of learners, especially girls. This field trip is in response to a plea made by young girls in October 2024, who had alerted the INF to the risks of violence linked to their learning and living conditions in agricultural boarding schools.

Through awareness-raising sessions, confidential discussions with pupils and meetings with principals and teachers, the tour has helped to free people's voices, identify difficulties and highlight urgent needs: menstrual hygiene management, access to drinking water, better study conditions for girls, .. etc. Each step of the way revealed the same desire: to create school environments that are safe, respectful and conducive to success.

This first phase, carried out in collaboration with the Ministère des Enseignements Secondaire, Technique et de la Formation Professionnelle and the NGO APRETECTRA (Association des Personnes Rénovatrices des Techniques Traditionnelles), marks a decisive step towards more inclusive agricultural education.

The mission will soon continue in five other agricultural high schools, with a strong conviction: to protect students, listen to their voices and take concrete action so that no girl or boy becomes a victim of violence.

Source: www.gouv.bj/