Communication for Social Change campaign SeeEveryColour moves on to the next stage

TBILISI. Georgia. 3 December 2021 – UNICEF continues the communication for social change campaign to reduce stigma against children with special educational needs and to ensure that all children have unhindered and equal access to both formal and informal education regardless of their needs.

The key goal of the ‘See Every Colour’ campaign will be to raise awareness on the importance of inclusive education and to increase involvement of children with special needs across the education system. The campaign is carried out by UNICEF with the financial support of the Norwegian Government and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science within a three-year project “Leave No Child Out” which aims at strengthening inclusive education in Georgia.

"Every child has a right to inclusive and quality education which improves not only learning for all children, with and without disabilities, but also promotes understanding, reduces prejudices and strengthens social integration." - Ghassan Khalil

“Every child has a right to inclusive and quality education which improves not only learning for all children, with and without disabilities, but also promotes understanding, reduces prejudices and strengthens social integration. With the support of the Norwegian Government we continue working with the Ministry of Education and Science to contribute to a culture of inclusion through eliminating informational and attitudinal barriers from schools and learning spaces”, said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

Within the campaign, educational meetings will be organized with schoolteachers and parents in six different regions of Georgia. The awareness-raising sessions will also be conducted with children with disabilities to inform them about their rights. Representatives of local municipalities, the private sector companies, education specialists, psychologists and public figures will also get involved into the campaign which will last till May 2022.

The campaign is a continuation of the communication for social change intervention ‘See Every Colour’, implemented by UNICEF and its partner donor organizations in 2017-2020 and aimed at reducing the stigma against children and youths with disabilities. The initiative reached more than one million people and contributed to a reduction of stigma against people with disabilities from 41.5 per cent to 28.3 per cent.

Children with special educational needs are one of the most vulnerable groups in Georgia. The widespread misconceptions and false beliefs prevent them from full engagement in social, educational, and cultural activities and from realizing their rights.