Extended summary: Tackling school-related gender-based violence through teacher professional development in Cambodia (2021)

A baseline study conducted in Battambang and Svay Rieng provinces in Cambodia in the year of 2018 indicates that a substantial share of students in primary and lower secondary education experiences emotional abuse, physical violence or sexual harassment (Cabus et al., 2019). Isolation, verbal assault, humiliation and intimidation are examples of emotional abuse, while hitting, beating, kicking or pulling hair are examples of physical violence. Sexual harassment is defined as touching and non-touching behaviours that the child did not liked/approved (see FAWE, 2018, p.99). Emotional abuse or physical violence within a carer-child relationship at school can be used by teachers in teaching practices as an (acceptable) form of discipline. It is a matter of fact that in many countries, these negative forms of discipline are not considered abusive (Devries et al., 2015; Stoltenborgh et al., 2015; Parkes et al., 2016). To tackle SRGBV in Cambodia, VVOB – education for development launched the project Teaching for Improved Gender Equality and Responsiveness (TIGER), together with its consortium partners Puthi Komar Organisation (PKO), Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC) and Kampuchea Action to Promote Education (KAPE).

This impact study summary touches on the key points of the evidence base of two working papers dealing with the effectiveness of the TIGER project: one working paper addresses the impact at teacher-level, and one paper the impact at student-level. The results show an increased knowledge and skills of teachers to identify key spaces in school life where gender is important and prompted a change in attitudes and beliefs. On the student level, results indicate a small but significant decrease in emotional, physical or sexual abuse, predominantly in primary education. Challenges for gender-responsive teaching were identified in lower secondary schools.