Protect Children from Violence through Positive Discipline in Ningxia, China SUMMARY 
The traditional hierarchical teacher-student relationship, performance-oriented education system at schools, and the traditional patriarchal parent-child relationship in Hui ethnic communities lead to corporal punishment, school violence and harmful traditional practices of children’s upbringing. This project aims to build a protective environment (school, family and community) to keep children from the Hui ethnic group in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China free from violence. A gender transformative approach will address the particular risks of girls to violence, including sexual abuse and early marriage. The project is targeting 6,000 girls and boys from three primary schools and three nine-year primary and junior secondary combined schools in Litong District, Wuzhong Municipality in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Plan International China and local partner Ningxia Charity Promotion Association will implement this project for two years, from September 2017 onwards. In Ningxia Hui Ethnic Autonomous Region, due to its religious culture and deeply rooted gender stereotypes, Hui adolescent girls usually face particular challenges as a result of their age, sex and ethnicity, which limit their opportunities of fulfilling their full potential. Girls are regarded by social norms and cultural beliefs as “their future husbands’ property”, and a “poor investment” as they will move into their husband’s house. Traditional gender norms confine girls and women's roles to household work, bearing and raising children rather than obtaining a higher education, seeking professional career or participating in public arenas.
The traditional hierarchical teacher-student relationship and performance-oriented education system at schools, and the traditional patriarchal parent-child relationship in Hui ethnic communities lead to corporal punishment and school violence, and harmful traditional practices of children’s upbringing. This is mainly in the form of harsh physical, emotional and public verbal disciplining of children by teachers and parents. Children, school and family lack sufficient awareness and knowledge on child protection. It is therefore urgent to create a violence-free environment in schools in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where children are able to realize their right to protection and can grow towards their full potential. Children, school and family are lacking sufficient capacity to address child protection and gender equality issues. A multi-dimensional approach is needed, involving different stakeholders. The project will support schools and its teachers to realize child protection, positive discipline and life skills, to access the available local child protection services and to change of gender stereotypes in Hui communities. Also the capacity and role of local social service organizations to advocate child rights and to provide quality child protection services will be built. The demonstration of quality child protection service and parental education training to local government will  motivate government to allocate more budgets to the social and protective services for marginalized children, especially girls in the Hui/Muslim community. Children, especially the girls from Hui community, will be empowered to develop their full potentials as a citizen. Training in self-protection and life skills, including gender equality, will help them to understand their rights, to identify their roles and responsibilities, to voice and act for themselves, and to access child care and protection services. In 1992, the Chinese government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Recent governmental actions include the National Law on the Protection of Minors (2007), the National Program for the Development of Chinese Children (2011-2020) , Guidance of Prevention on Bullying and Violence in schools (2016), the Outline for the Development of Women (2011-2020), and the first national anti-domestic violence law (2015).  Nevertheless, the status of child protection is still not positive enough due to the lack of child protection services and an efficient child protection system at national and local levels. Responsibilities are fragmented between various government institutions; no particular agency is held accountable for improving the child protection status in China. 

This project is aiming at strengthening a school-focused protective environment, including local social service organizations, targeted schools and regional government, through  the promotion of positive discipline and quality child protection services. Secondly, the project is aiming to set up a replicable model and to advocate to the education authorities in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The project will directly benefit 6,000 girls and boys (48%, 52%) of grade 1 till 9, especially in the 6 targeted schools in Litong District, Wuzhong Municipality. 20 local social service organizations, including 4 social workers, will have increased awareness of child protection and gender equality, and capacity to provide technical support on positive discipline and life skills to schools and communities.  The awareness and capacity of 30 teachers (60% female) and 20 government officials will directly be built in gender equality and child protection. Result 1:    20 local social service organizations, including 4 social workers, have increased awareness of child protection and gender equality, and capacity to provide technical support on positive discipline and life skills to schools and communities.
•	Study tour for best practice for local social service organisations and key partners at Municipality, County/District and school level
•	Development of curriculum and training model on positive discipline and life skills
•	Capacity building of 20 local social service organisations (CSOs), including 4 social workers, and improvement in the supply of child development services

Result 2:    A gender-sensitive protective environment is established in 6 targeted schools through improved awareness and capacity of teachers and through child participation.
•	Training on positive discipline, child protection, gender equality and life skills for teachers and local government education authorities.
•	Information, education and communication (IEC) activities for students, and indirect for their parents/caregivers, at target schools on positive discipline, child protection, gender equality and life skills.
•	Technical support for teachers on positive discipline and life skills
•	Establishment of Child Advisory Committees and children participation in activities related to self-protection, gender equality and life skills
•	School-to-school communications and inter-school exchange visits around the application of child protection, gender equality and life skills

Result 3:    A replicable model is summarized and advocated to education authorities (Ningxia Education Bureau and Women’s Federation) in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
•	Development of a paper that summarizes the project lessons learned, the replicable model and recommendations for scale up
•	Advocacy workshop targeting local education authorities to promote best practices and discuss the possibilities for scaling up the model The project is building on the existing structures, duties and resources of key partners. With this project, working on positive discipline, positive parental education and social inclusion will become natural in school management. Strengthening children, and their families and communities, on child protection and gender equality will also lead to more demand to access child care and protection services. 

The achievements of implementing partner Ningxia Charity Promotion Association, local social service organizations and the targeted schools will be formally recognized by their governmental supervision department. A successful project model and best practices will be advocated at municipal and regional level aiming to be replicated in other geographic areas or even at higher governmental level. The demonstration of qualitative child protection service and parental education training will hopefully motivate the government to allocate more budget to social and protective services for marginalized children, especially girls in the Hui/Muslim community.