Education, Conflict and Development CHAPTER 7 Fortifying Barriers: sexual violence as an obstacle to girls' school participation in Northern Uganda MAUREEN MURPHY, LINDSAY STARK, MICHAEL WESSELLS, NEIL BOOTHBY & ALASTAIR AGER SUMMARY Despite considerable research on barriers to girls' participation in education, little is understood about the experiences of female survivors of sexual violence as they interact with the school system. Using data from a 2007-08 longitudinal qualitative data set, the barriers to school enrolment were explored for survivors of sexual violence as well as other conflict-affected girls -in Lira District, Northern Uganda. The results of the analysis suggest that all girls, regardless of their status as sexual violence survivors, face similar barriers to accessing education that need to be addressed in a holistic and comprehensive manner. Financial constraints, the quality of schools, and cultural barriers that do not prioritize girls' education, as well as the prevalence of early marriage and pregnancy, were common experiences for all girls enrolled in the study. Additionally, girls faced self-doubt and a lack of self-efficacy about their ability to achieve in school, which was compounded by bullying from peers and stigma from the community. For survivors of sexual violence these barriers were strengthened by virtue of their 'doubly disadvantaged' status. Additional support and targeted interventions are needed to empower this particularly vulnerable group to overcome the barriers impeding school enrolment. Like for the young girls who have dropped studies, I used to think that I was the only one but we are many. (Sharon [1], survivor of sexual violence) 167