As more and more countries enforce lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, the rates of sexual and gender-based violence around the world seem to be increasing. Changu Mannathoko, who has a long and rich career as senior UNICEF officer, researcher and academic, joins us to discuss the impacts of crisis situations on education, particularly in regards to sexual and gender based violence.

Changu Mannathoko was the Senior Education Policy Advisor at UNICEF New York and represented UNICEF in key consultations and presented in international forums on Education Reform, Girls’ Education, Quality Education for orphans and vulnerable children and Life Skills and Social- Emotional learning. Prior to that she was the UNICEF Regional Education Advisor, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) 2001- Feb.2006. She has worked as senior consultant in various international organisations like the Commonwealth Secretariat, UNDP and SADC, UNFPA, UNDP and the Government of Botswana, UNDP among others. Between 1986-2000 she was the Director of the Gender and Development in Southern Africa Course at the University of Botswana launched in 1996, for SADC member States. It entailed a holistic gender perspective that analyzed policy, practice and outcomes from economic, political and socioeconomic dimensions.