Gender and Sexual Violence: YOUCA 2023

This educational package was created in collaboration with Plan Belgium in the context of the YOUCA Action Day 2023. With the proceeds from the YOUCA Action Day 2023 we support a Plan Senegal project and several smaller projects worldwide in the context of #notyourstereotype. Plan wants to fight, together with young people, for a society free of sexual violence.

Sexual violence is a global problem. For example, the UN-MENAMAIS study shows that two
third of the Belgian population will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. At least one in three women worldwide are confronted with it. Sexual violence concerns all forms of sexual interaction in which someone's boundaries are not respected. Gender norms and stereotypes that maintain unfair power relations between different genders contribute to the normalization of sexual violence. This culture of impunity for perpetrators, which encourages victim blaming, has a negative impact on everyone in society.

That is why Plan Senegal wants to work with young people to dispel these stereotypes and thus bring about change. The Senegalese young people are part of the project and try to spread the message to their community. Through local actions, such as football tournaments and radio broadcasts, they want to create a positive climate to promote gender equality. With this series of lessons we touch on various themes related to the overarching theme #notyourstereotype.