Raising Our Voices: How Peer Education is Transforming Schools in Ethiopia

When one of our adolescent participants first joined a Know Your Rights club in her local school, she thought it would be just another after-class activity. But within weeks, she found herself standing in front of hundreds of her peers — confidently leading a conversation about consent, respect, and safety.

“Before this, I didn’t even know how to describe what harassment was,” she shared. “Now I know it’s not my fault when someone crosses my boundaries — and I know how to speak up.”

Her story represents what Know Your Rights Ethiopia (KYRE) stands for — a youth-led, women-founded initiative that works to end gender-based violence (GBV) through transformative education, creative expression, and collective action.
At its heart, KYRE believes that knowledge is power — but only when it’s shared.

Learning from Each Other, Not Being Lectured

Rather than traditional models where adults “teach” and young people “listen,” KYRE’s peer education approach flips the script.
We train adolescent girls and boys to become peer educators — trusted voices who spark conversations about gender, equality, and safety within their own schools and communities.

Through storytelling, dialogue circles, and creative exercises, young people learn to recognize harmful behaviors, support one another, and advocate for safer spaces.

“Our approach is simple but radical,” explains one of our program co-leads. “We don’t come in as experts with all the answers. We create spaces where young people lead — because they understand their realities better than anyone else.”

Creating Ripple Effects Beyond the Classroom

The impact doesn’t stop in the classroom. Many of our peer educators bring what they learn into their homes and neighborhoods — starting honest conversations that were once considered taboo.

In one of our partner schools in Bishoftu, students collaborated with teachers to create a “Safe Box” where peers could anonymously report harassment or ask for help. In another community, young boys launched a campaign called “Respect is Strength,” encouraging their classmates to redefine what it means to be confident and kind.

By centering adolescents as changemakers, KYRE helps communities see that preventing GBV isn’t just a girls’ issue — it’s everyone’s responsibility.

From Awareness to Action

KYRE’s work is grounded in feminist values of equity, empathy, and collective care.
Every training session, art project, and awareness campaign is designed to move beyond information-sharing and toward real transformation.

Participants learn about their rights, how to access reporting mechanisms, and how to support peers who experience violence. They also use creative tools — like poetry, drama, and mural painting — to turn their experiences into messages of hope and strength.

As one facilitator put it, “When young people express what they’ve been through — through art, dialogue, or storytelling — it becomes impossible for the world to look away.”

A Growing Movement of Youth Advocates

Since its founding, KYRE has reached hundreds of young people through school-based programs, peer-led trainings, and digital campaigns.
But the real impact is not just in numbers — it’s in the growing confidence, courage, and solidarity among young people who now understand their rights and are unafraid to claim them.

As one participant said, “Before, I used to stay silent. Now I help others find their voice.”