Teaching Equity to Prevent Violence: The ANULA School-SAFE Framework Across Continents

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Background: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains a global public health crisis, driven by structural inequalities and harmful gender norms. Schools reaching nearly every child offer unique opportunities to prevent violence, yet existing interventions are fragmented and unsustainable. We propose the ANULA SCHOOL-SAFE framework, a ten-step, culturally adaptable model that embeds prevention into education systems through four integrated pillars: Safeguard, Act, Foster, and Empower. Grounded in ecological systems, social norms, and resilience theories, the framework combines age-appropriate spiral curricula, robust safeguarding policies, trauma-informed teacher training, digital safety, and community engagement with families and faith leaders. Objectives: This article presents an intervention framework, which addresses the persistent global crisis of violence against women and girls (VAWG), by applying the ANULA SCHOOL-SAFE framework as a primary prevention strategy. Method: The ANULA SCHOOL-SAFE framework was developed from global evidence on school-based violence prevention and is grounded in ecological systems, social norms, and resilience/protection theories: ecological theory informs multilevel interventions, social norms theory targets beliefs and behaviors that sustain VAWG, and resilience theory strengthens students' protective capacities. It integrates age-appropriate curricula, safeguarding policies, trauma-informed teacher training, digital safety measures, and community engagement, using a tiered design (Essential, Enhanced, Full) adaptable to diverse school types and resource settings. Results: The ANULA SCHOOL-SAFE framework offers a structured pathway to embed violence prevention into education. By integrating curriculum alignment, protective mechanisms, and cultural adaptation, it provides schools with a practical roadmap for early intervention. Its multilevel approach equips teachers, students, and communities to challenge harmful gender norms, strengthen resilience, and foster a culture of safety and equity. Conclusion: Embedding the ANULA SCHOOL-SAFE framework within education systems positions schools as transformative spaces capable of disrupting intergenerational cycles of violence. This model demonstrates how education can move beyond fragmented interventions toward a sustainable, system-wide strategy that promotes gender equity and resilient societies.

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