In the 2024 Safety Report, “Core Issues Affecting Girls in the Developing World,” SAFIGI Outreach Foundation highlighted key safety challenges facing girls across diverse cultures and geographies. These challenges, rooted in gendered oppression, digital vulnerabilities, and societal stigmatization, paint a grim picture for the future of girls in developing regions. But there is hope.
At SAFIGI, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of the Holistic Safety Education Course, a proactive step toward addressing these urgent concerns. The Safety Report details core safety issues that disproportionately affect girls, many of which are not addressed within traditional educational systems.
According to the report, safety is often treated as an afterthought, something that exists outside the sphere of basic education. As a result, essential aspects such as mental health, emotional resilience, and bodily autonomy are neglected. Yet, these internal safety issues are foundational to external expressions of safety, and their absence can lead to a cycle of harm, both for the individual and society.
In response, the Holistic Safety Education Course integrates both Internal and External Safety targeting mental, emotional, and cultural, safety, as well as bodily, societal and environmental concerns. This approach reflects the report's findings that internal safety issues, such as emotional and mental health, are crucial to preventing physical dangers like violence, theft, and harassment. Our curriculum covers the root causes of these issues and provides practical tools to foster a safer world for girls.
Mental Health and Emotional Safety: Solving a Neglected Crisis
As reported, only 12% of females and 17% of males surveyed had received adequate mental health and emotional safety education during their formative years. This gap leaves young people, especially girls, vulnerable to internal chaos that can manifest in dangerous external behaviors or environments. Our course prioritizes Mental and Emotional Safety, teaching participants how to recognize, address, and resolve internal safety threats before they escalate into external crises.
Cultural and Societal Safety: Breaking Harmful Norms
The report highlights how cultural norms and societal attitudes contribute to a cycle of abuse, particularly regarding sexual harassment, violence, and gender-based oppression. By addressing Cultural Safety, our course teaches girls and young women how to critically assess harmful cultural practices and cultivate healthier alternatives. Additionally, Societal Safety modules focus on building safe, supportive communities—both in the physical world and online, a critical need in our increasingly digital era where girls face mounting threats from cyberbullying and online exploitation.
Bodily and Environmental Safety: Empowering Ownership and Responsibility
Issues like sexual harassment, highlighted in countries like Egypt, and the physical abuse of marginalized women globally, underscore the urgent need for bodily autonomy and protection. Our course not only teaches girls about Bodily Safety but also about their right to consent and bodily autonomy, addressing both cultural and systemic pressures that undermine these freedoms.
The SAFIGI Safety Report also stresses the need for Environmental Safety another neglected aspect in safety education. Girls need to understand how environmental factors affect their safety and how to contribute to a safer, healthier environment. Through our course, participants will learn to safeguard their physical surroundings and be empowered to contribute to a more sustainable and safer world.
A Holistic Approach: Preparing for a Safer Tomorrow
The 2024 Safety Report demonstrates that the safety challenges girls face are complex and multifaceted, requiring a comprehensive solution. The Holistic Safety Education Course was developed with this in mind. We understand that safety cannot be taught in silos. By integrating mental, emotional, cultural, bodily, societal, and environmental safety, we provide young girls with the tools to navigate and dismantle the vices that threaten their well-being.
As we prepare for the launch in November, 2024, we invite you to join us in this vital mission.
The Holistic Safety Education Course will be more than just a curriculum—it will be a tool for empowerment, resilience, and change. By addressing the root causes of safety threats, we aim to build a future where every girl, no matter where she lives, can thrive in a world that respects her rights and protects her safety.
Express your interest in taking the course when it is released by signing up here.
By Yanjanani Brian Phiri
Yanjanani is a skilled Researcher and Public Health Specialist with over ten years of experience in Monitoring & Evaluation, Project Management, and community engagement in Zambia. He excels in planning, managing, and tracking health programs, and has extensive knowledge of DHIS2, Smartcare, and DATIM.
Recently, he has managed humanitarian projects and developed M&E plans and data collection tools. He is currently working with SAFIGI Outreach Foundation as the eLearning and Social Impact Lead.
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