Creating safe learning environments and gender equality for girls is a major development issue in South African secondary schools. Though 70% of South African children aged 14–17 go to secondary school, girls have reported feeling unsafe in the school environment. A variety of partnerships and initiatives have been developed in efforts to reduce the violence in schools and create a safe learning environment. These partnerships and initiatives have facilitated the establishment of policies that promote social, economic, and educational development.

This study investigates the efficacy of the implementation of the Girls’ Education Movement (GEM) intervention. The study investigates the school environments and the relationships between learners, teachers, and program partners to assess the efficacy of the GEM implementation. This research focuses on a narrow form of partnership in which government (South African National Department of Education) and the regional office of an international multilateral organization (UNICEF South Africa) collaborate to address South Africa’s gender issues in schools through GEM. This comparative case study was conducted in two secondary schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The schools and participants are from two school communities that are violent. This purposeful sample is reflective of the schooling environment in which the GEM intervention is implemented.

The primary research questions examine the efficacy of the GEM initiative as an intervention model program, how the partnership between UNICEF and DOE functions, and its roles and responsibilities. The study also seeks to identify and understand the opportunities and challenges of the partnership and how the partnership affects program implementation. This case study approach uses qualitative methods—interviews, program observation, focus groups, and questionnaires—to research the implementation of GEM at the nation provincial and local level. The study examines the engagement and coordination of the partnership and its ability to contribute to education development by operationalizing the GEM initiative.

The findings from this study suggest that there are many concerns in building and sustaining a partnership for education development. The findings also reveal a panoramic view of real challenges that impede a successful partnership between UNICEF South Africa and the South African National Department of Education’s efforts to employ the GEM initiative and to create safe schooling for learners.

This study adds to the literature recommendations and strategies to mitigate the challenges of building partnerships. Some suggestions for policy and practice include (1) establish stakeholders with clearly outlined parameters from the onset of the partnership, (2) implement effective strategies for successful partnership building and program implementation, (3) develop and sustain consistent and continuous communication for the duration of the partnership, (4) set incremental stages of evaluation of the partnership and program and allow for midstream adjustments based on the results.