In 2023, the World Bank approved US$100 million for the Strengthening the Resilience of Ecuadorian Schools Project, implemented by Ecuador’s Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MINEDEC). According to project documents, the project aims to improve the safety and resilience of school infrastructure and strengthen learning opportunities for children and adolescents aged 3 to 17. It is scheduled to close in December 2028.
The project has two main components:
The project’s environmental and social documents identify moderate risks of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEA/H) associated with infrastructure works. The documents reviewed, however, do not include a SEA/H risk assessment specific to Component 2, which involves activities with children, teachers, consultants, and facilitators. Existing SEA/H measures focus primarily on infrastructure works, and it is unclear whether these measures will be adapted to Component 2.
School-related sexual violence remains a serious concern in Ecuador. MINEDEC data recorded 6,516 cases between January 2014 and June 2024. The World Bank has documented how violence in educational settings can undermine children’s safety, school attendance, and learning outcomes.
In 2026, the Bank Information Center (BIC) partnered with CEPAM Guayaquil, an Ecuadorian civil society organization specializing in gender-based violence prevention, child protection, and survivor support, to independently monitor SEA/H risks under Component 2 and identify opportunities to strengthen SEA/H prevention and response.
CEPAM reviewed project documents, including the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and held discussions with the World Bank and MINEDEC. The review produced three findings, shared below.
1. No SEA/H risk assessment specific to Component 2: SEA/H risk management for the project has focused primarily on infrastructure-related works. The World Bank and MINEDEC explained that Component 2 was not expected to introduce significant additional risks because reading spaces would operate in existing schools with existing teachers, without new construction, and because consultants would have limited interaction with children. SEA/H risks, however, are not limited to construction activities or newly hired project personnel. The World Bank’s Good Practice Note on Addressing SEA/SH in Human Development Operations recognizes teachers and other civil servants working in connection with a project as project actors; it recommends that risks be assessed on the basis of project activities, power dynamics, and local conditions. Component 2 involves adult-child interactions through reading and psychosocial-risk prevention activities. These interactions may present SEA/H risks and create opportunities for children to disclose experiences of sexual violence, which requires personnel to respond appropriately and follow established referral procedures. Implementation in rural areas may further complicate supervision and access to support services. The documents reviewed neither assess these risks under Component 2 nor explain how existing SEA/H measures would address them.
2. Gaps in SEA/H grievance procedures: CEPAM identified two gaps in the project’s plans for handling SEA/H complaints, particularly those involving children.
3. SEA/H prevention and response is absent from planned teacher training: Component 2 includes teacher training and psychosocial-risk prevention activities, but project documents do not specify SEA/H prevention and response content within them. These activities provide an opportunity to prepare teachers to recognize signs of sexual violence, maintain appropriate adult-child boundaries, respond safely to disclosures, and follow existing reporting and referral procedures. During discussions with BIC and CEPAM, MINEDEC acknowledged that the planned teacher training had not explicitly considered SEA/H and expressed openness to incorporating relevant content.
BIC and CEPAM recommend three priorities to strengthen SEA/H prevention and response through existing project activities and institutional mechanisms.
1. Assess and manage SEA/H risks specific to Component 2: The World Bank and MINEDEC should conduct, or update, an SEA/H risk assessment for Component 2, drawing on the GPN for Human Development Operations. The assessment should consider adult-child interactions, reading and psychosocial activities, potential disclosures of sexual violence, and institutional capacity to prevent and respond to incidents. Its findings should inform proportionate, activity-specific mitigation measures, including teacher training and clearer coordination with school protection mechanisms such as DECE. The assessment should be reviewed periodically as implementation progresses. BIC and CEPAM also recommend adapting existing monitoring indicators to Component 2 in order to track staff training, compliance with standards of conduct, safe reporting channels, and timely referrals. Indicators should use aggregated data that do not identify survivors.
2. Strengthen child-sensitive SEA/H grievance procedures and coordination: BIC and CEPAM recommend that MINEDEC develop a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling SEA/H complaints under Component 2, building on existing project grievance channels and the Ministry of Education’s school protection procedures. The SOP should be reflected in the SEP and in other relevant environmental and social instruments. It should:
BIC and CEPAM further recommend consultation with children, teachers, families, and relevant civil society organizations so that these arrangements are accessible, appropriate, and aligned with existing school protection mechanisms.
3. Integrate SEA/H prevention and response into planned teacher training: BIC and CEPAM recommend incorporating SEA/H prevention and response into teacher training, online courses, and educational materials already planned under Component 2, particularly those addressing psychosocial risks. Training should cover the recognition of the signs of sexual violence, appropriate adult-child interactions, safe responses to disclosures, confidentiality, and responsibilities under MINEDEC’s reporting and referral procedures. CEPAM has developed thematic and methodological recommendations to inform these activities. BIC and CEPAM also recommend clarifying how existing standards of conduct apply to teachers, consultants, and facilitators, including boundaries for physical, verbal, and digital interactions with children. These measures can be integrated into planned training without creating a separate curriculum or replacing existing protection protocols.
