Around the world, U-Report has already helped to change the lives of children and young people, for example by helping to expose a “Sex for Grades” scandal in Liberia.
Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender, Unicef used U-Report to highlight the issue of teachers in Liberia exploiting children by awarding grades or pass marks in return for sex. U-Reporters were asked if they believed this was an issue and they provided astonishing feedback.
In less than 24 hours, 13,000 people had responded, with the vast majority (86 per cent) saying they believed this was a problem in their school.
After the poll, all participating U-Reporters were given information on how to report abuse. The Ministry of Gender provided a helpline number for children offering advice and support; it was inundated with calls.
The same week of the poll, Unicef met the Minister of Education in Liberia to discuss the results and make a plan to address the issue. Unicef and the Ministry are now working together to improve child protection in schools.
Find out more about U-Report’s findings in Liberia.
