A new ministerial taskforce on ending violence in, around, and through schools was launched at the Education World Forum in late May 2025. The taskforce, led by the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone, consists of 11 countries working together to end violence against children. The issue at hand is broad in its scope: every year, an estimated 246 million children experience violence in and around school, including gender-based and sexual violence that targets girls. Moreover, girls and boys who do not conform to gender norms are reported to be victims of bullying at much higher rates than their peers. The taskforce is committed to five core actions: strengthening education systems' accountability for children's safety; elevating the issue of violence against children on the world stage; ensuring the issue of violence prevention is included in policies, laws, budgets, and plans; gathering data and leveraging evidence to make schools safer; and incorporating youth and civil society voices in decision-making. The taskforce aligns with global efforts to ensure safe learning environments.
Compiled from: Ruth Kagia, Judith Herbertson, and Gabriella Smarrelli, “A Ministerial Taskforce to End Violence In and Around Schools,” Center for Global Development, May 23, 2025.; "Safe to Learn Call To Action: Ending violence against children in, around, and through schools," Safe to Learn, Apr. 2023.