There are few high-quality population-based data sets that measure various aspects of violence against children and women. One comprehensive household survey instrument that collects a wealth of information on the drivers, circumstances, prevalence and consequences of violence is the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS).

Findings from the VACS demonstrate that while boys and girls often face similar risks for violence, there is significant variation in experiences of violence based on gender and age, as well as contextual factors including social norms around gender roles and stereotypes and violence.

With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and in partnership with Together for Girls and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AidData, a Research Lab at the College of William & Mary, undertook analyses using the VACS and additional data sets to examine the relationship between schools and violence in several countries. This brief describes the results from an analysis in which AidData researchers triangulated data from Côte d’Ivoire’s Afrobarometer survey and the VACS conducted in 2018 to examine the relationship between gender norms, education, and violence in Côte d’Ivoire.

Gender norms are widely recognized by researchers, policymakers, advocates, and activists as a key driver for violence against children and women. Violence against women and children is both a manifestation of gender inequality and a mechanism by which that inequality is reinforced.

Measuring violence and gathering data on prevalence, perpetration, and the contexts in which violence is experienced, as well as risk and protective factors is essential to understanding the scope of violence and inform effective policies and programing to prevent and respond to violence.

Result 1: Recognition of gender inequality and women’s rights as important problems facing the country is associated with decreased prevalence of physical violence against girls.

Broadly speaking, community-wide recognition of gender inequality and women’s rights as one of the most important problems facing the country is associated with decreased prevalence of physical violence against girls, but also increased prevalence of sexual violence against girls (see data note 2).

In addition, areas where there is a higher relative ratio of women to men who believe that gender inequality and women’s rights are important issues to address have lower prevalence of intimate partner physical violence, peer physical violence and school-related sexual violence against girls than do areas with a lower relative ratio.

Result 2: Specific gender norms may have an impact on teacher-perpetrated violence.

Departments in which the community as a whole is more likely to identify gender inequality and women’s rights as a top priority have lower prevalence of teacher-perpetrated physical violence against both males and females than do departments in which the community is less likely to identify these issues as a priority.

In particular, departments in which men identified gender inequality and women’s rights as a top priority have lower prevalence of teacher-perpetrated physical violence against girls than do departments in which men are less likely to identify these issues as a priority (see note 3 below).

In addition, departments in which women are more likely to support female political leaders have lower prevalence of corporal punishment against boys than do departments in which women are less supportive of female political leaders. However, norms among women in support of women holding office are not correlated with teacher-perpetrated physical violence against girls.

Result 3: Attainment of secondary education is associated with more gender equitable attitudes among girls.

Attending secondary school is associated with more equitable norms for girls. Among girls who completed primary school or less, 72 percent endorsed one or more negative or inequitable beliefs about gender, sexual practices, or intimate partner violence (IPV), compared to just 60 percent of girls who attended or completed secondary school or more. Attending secondary school is not associated with more equitable norms for boys.

The following outline recommendations for policymakers, decision-makers, practitioners, researchers, advocates, and educators: