Unesco 'Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future'

This week, UNESCO, through the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme in Malawi, is supporting the Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education - CYECE to conduct a five-day National Training of Trainers on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Delivery and Monitoring & Evaluation in Mponela, Dowa.

The training has brought together over 30 district-level stakeholders from the education, health, youth, gender, and civil society sectors across eight districts to strengthen their knowledge and skills in delivering quality CSE.

By investing in the capacity of frontline stakeholders, UNESCO and its partners are contributing to improved access to quality sexuality education, empowering young people to make informed decisions about their health, wellbeing, and future.

| Royal Norwegian Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi | Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete

"We, the Ministers and representatives, acknowledge that the Triple Threat of HIV, Early and Unintended Pregnancy (EUP), and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not only a health challenge, but also an education, development, gender equality, and human rights challenge. We call upon Governments, development partners, regional institutions, communities, faith leaders, parents, caregivers, traditional leaders, and young people themselves to act with urgency and solidarity to protect and empower Africa’s children and adolescents."

This was the communique read out by Ministers, senior government representatives, and traditional leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa who gathered in Livingstone, Zambia, in May 2026 to confront one of the most pressing challenges facing the continent's adolescents and young people: the Triple Threat.

Convened by UNESCO under the O3 (Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future) Programme, the dialogue reinforced a simple but urgent truth: Africa's future depends on how well it protects, educates, and empowers its young people today.

Read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/investing-africas-future-why-life-skills-health-education-matters-now-more-ever

This week in Mombasa County in Kenya, UNESCO is hosting a series of community dialogues with over 700 parents on preventing School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV), building on the momentum of the Connect with Respect training conducted earlier this year.

These engagements provide an opportunity for parents to reflect on how they can work alongside teachers, school leaders, and learners to foster respect, prevent violence, and promote positive relationships both in and beyond the classroom.

Creating safe schools is a shared responsibility. When parents are engaged, informed, and empowered, schools become stronger, safer, and more inclusive spaces where every learner can thrive.

| UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

Career Opportunity with UNESCO!

Are you passionate about advancing education, health, and well-being for learners across South Africa?

UNESCO is seeking a National Project Officer - Education for Health and Well-being (NOC) to support the implementation of the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme and the EU-funded initiative addressing school-related gender-based violence.

Working closely with the Department of Basic Education and key government partners, the successful candidate will help drive efforts to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments where all learners can thrive.

🇿🇦 This position is open to South African nationals only.

Apply now: https://careers.unesco.org/job-invite/23875/

| Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa | United Nations in South Africa

This , we celebrate schools that are creating safe, supportive spaces where young people can speak openly, lead confidently, and support one another.

At Juba Diocese Secondary School in South Sudan, students are breaking silence around topics once considered difficult to discuss — including puberty, hygiene, relationships, and menstrual health.

Through UNESCO's Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme, teachers received training on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and School-Related Gender-Based Violence, helping create an environment where students feel heard, respected, and safe.

From improving menstrual hygiene practices to strengthening peer support and reducing bullying, students are leading change in their own school community.

Because menstrual health is about more than hygiene — it is about dignity, confidence, education, and empowerment.

Read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/strengthening-safe-spaces-students-south-sudan

Today marks an important milestone for education and well-being in Uganda with the launch of the National Guidelines and Support Materials for integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in education settings.

Developed through collaboration between UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and partners, these new guidelines and tools will help strengthen mental health and psychosocial support across Uganda’s education system.

This is more than a launch — it is a commitment to ensuring every learner is supported, every teacher is empowered, and every school promotes well-being alongside quality education.

| UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

As the 2026 Conference comes to an end in Lusaka, one message is clear: freedom of expression is not just about reporting—it’s about doing so with responsibility, dignity, and purpose.

Meet Ludia, Canaan, and Ketra - three journalists from Zambia who report on critical health and well-being related topics through storytelling: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/shaping-better-future-through-stories-matter

| Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa | Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka

Schools should be places where every learner feels safe, respected, and free to thrive. Yet for many children, bullying, sexual harassment, abuse, and gender-based violence continue to disrupt their education and wellbeing.

Through UNESCO’s Connect with Respect (CwR) initiative — implemented by the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Education under the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme — teachers are being equipped with practical, real-world tools to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence.

In 2025, 60 teachers from 10 schools and 40 teacher educators from Shanzu Teachers’ Training College were trained.

Just last week, 63 teachers from 30 schools in Mombasa County joined this growing movement. And this is only the beginning — with plans to expand training further and engage parents to help build safer, more supportive school environments.

| UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

Safe spaces start with honest conversations. 💬✨

At Juba Diocese Secondary School, students are leading girls’ and boys’ clubs where they can openly discuss topics once considered difficult to raise in school — puberty, relationships, hygiene, respect, and wellbeing.

Supported through UNESCO's Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme, teachers received training that helped build confidence, strengthen guidance, and create a more supportive school environment.

Now students are not only asking questions — they are leading solutions, supporting peers, and shaping a culture of respect.

Because when young people have trusted spaces to learn and speak openly, they can build brighter futures.

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/strengthening-safe-spaces-students-south-sudan

| UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa