GIRLS’ EDUCATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
FAWE’S SUCESSFUL INTERVENTIONS
Ms. Simone de Comarmond Chairperson-FAWE Africa
MARCH 2009
Girls‘ Education in Africa - Overview
Education sector in SSA experiences formidable challenges despite progress made since Jomtien 1990 and Dakar 2000 Upward trend in average PS enrollment rates (78% in 1990 98% in 2004/5) But gender gap persits in access, retention & achievement at all levels EFA and MDG target of gender parity in primary level access by 2005 missed Only 1 girl for every 2 boys makes it to SS & 1 girl for every 3 boys completes SE (accounts for 45% of girls) Even smaller number of girls (40%) attain higher education
Gender bias in pedagogy, learning materials, school management
Socio-cultural attitudes and practices against GE die hard in many countries
(Figures from UNESCO DAKAR +7 EFA Report
FAWE - Background
FAWE is a home-grown African NGO created in 1992 to advocate for GE & gender equity in African education by promoting access, retention and performance of girls in school. FAWE has 36 chapters across Africa and strives to undertake comprehensive and holistic actions at all levels of African education systems: Raise awareness about importance of educating girls
Influence integration of gender in education policy formulation Demonstrate how to achieve girls‘ access, retention & achievement through in-country and school interventions Convince African MoE to replicate and mainstream FAWE‘s best practices and successful models Increasingly FAWE is working towards making the HE environment gender responsive and expanding learning opportunities of young women in post-conflict situations through TVET
EVOLUTION of FAWE
From GE advocacy at policy level to influencing policy/plans.
From focus on UPE access to classroom processes and community advocacy for basic education.
From focus on girls only to a gender approach with a view to transforming gender relations through education. From scattered single interventions to a holistic model of transforming a normal school into a gender-responsive school model.
Meeting the challenges
FAWE’s Vision : A world in which gender disparities are eliminated and all African girls access education, perform well and complete their studies. Our Mission : To promote gender equity and equality in African education by fostering positive policies, practices and attitudes towards girls’ education.
Barriers to girls’ education in SSA
1. Lack of national gender responsive polices and plans- in situation were the polices are gender responsive, translating these into actionable plans is still a challenge.
Barriers to girls’ education in SSA
2. Gender insensitive school learning environments
School infrastructure is often gender-insensitive Crowded and/ or dilapidated classrooms with inadequate water and sanitation facilities Sexual violence in school Lack of gender sensitive curriculum Gender bias in pedagogy, learning materials and school management
Female teachers are particularly under-represented at secondary and tertiary levels, 29% and 28% share of teaching staff respectively
Barriers to girls’ education in SSA
3. Social-cultural attitudes and practices against girls education die hard in many SSA countries. Social/ Poverty related factors
Gender violence, Low value placed on girls’ education Conflict/post conflict situations Impact of HIV/AIDS ( orphans, child headed households and in some cases girls are withdrawn from school to look after the sick) Poor management of sexual maturation partly due to poverty or lack of knowledge on good hygiene practices Girls engaging into harmful practices (prostitution) to earn income for the family.
Cultural related factors
FGM, Early marriages, Gender roles
Overall, retention in school and completion of the cycle remain major challenges for both girls and boys across the region.
FAWE’S STRATEGIES
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3. 4. Policy influencing for gender responsiveness
Evidence based policy advocacy
Undertaking gender responsive demonstrative interventions Strategic partnership with MoEs - For scaling-up and mainstreaming efforts to be viable and lasting, Ministries of Education must be implicated in all initiatives from the conception stage. The signing of MoUs with MOE (15 NCs so far) has facilitated the institutionalization of FAWE-MOE relationships
FAWE’S GENDER INTERVENTIONS
FAWE’s mandate is to demonstrate rather than undertake large-scale interventions. Key gender responsive demonstrative interventions to achieve increased access, improved retention and better performance include:
Gender Responsive School (COE)
Tuseme- Empowerment of Girls SMT GRP Bursary Educating mothers to support girls education
Support for girls in conflict situations
FAWE’S RESULTS (1)
Stimulating gender-responsive policy reforms and supporting their translation into practice
FAWE has been able to encourage specific policy provisions and strategies to improve girls’ participation in education in various national policy documents through both active policy dialogue and advocacy 27 education policy documents were reviewed( between 2004-2008) for gender–responsiveness by NCs and Governments were informed on existing gender gaps in the policies Re-entry policies for dropout girls due to pregnancy introduced in 7 NCs (Cameroon, Gambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zanzibar) Sanctions against early marriages and sexual harassment instituted in 3 countries – Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia.
FAWE’S KEY RESULTS (2)
Stimulating gender-responsive policy reforms and supporting their translation into practice
Some of the recommendation of the study conducted (2004) on the Analysis of the Gender-Responsiveness of Education Policy Documents in Malawi were adopted during the development of the National Education Sector Plan
A gender focused review of the TVET policies in the three countries( Burundi, Liberia and Sierra Leone) revealed the existing gender gaps as well as opportunities in policy implementation. The findings have informed the design of FAWE’s proposed TVET intervention in these countries.
FAWE’S KEY RESULTS(3)
Contributed to improved girls’ access, retention, participation and performance FAWE provided bursary grants to severely disadvantaged girls and boys to promote access, retention and performance To date over 36, 000 girls and boys have benefited from a full academic cycle support Some National Chapters have also influenced ministries of education to mainstream bursary schemes. The Gambia, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia have institutionalised and expanded their bursary schemes, thereby benefiting a wider population of marginalized girls
FAWE’S KEY RESULTS(4)
Influencing replication and mainstreaming of FAWE’s successful models for girls’ education
FAWE’s successful models have been mainstreamed in national education polices and practices Through strengthened working relationships with ministries of education, Tuseme, COEs, GRP, sexual maturation management and SMT have been mainstreamed into national education policies and practice, specifically; 2 FAWE models (Tuseme and COE) have been mainstreamed into Tanzania Secondary Education Development Plan (SEDP). COE, Tuseme and sexual maturation have been mainstreamed into the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP). COE model has been replicated in six more countries, while Tuseme, GRP and SMT were each replicated in 12 countries.
LESSONS LEARNT(1)
1. Advocacy must be accompanied with capacity to influence policy formulation and implementation as well as reform processes. FAWE is convinced that several dimensions of girls education need to be addressed simultaneaously in order to make a lasting impact.
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A holistic model integrating multiple supply- and demand-side factors is the way to go GenderResponsive School (GRP)/COE. However specific interventions must be incorporated where needed, particularly in conflict and post-conflict situations, HIV-AIDS stricken communities, or communities with practices that are harmful to girls such as FGM
LESSONS LEARNT(2)
4. A gender approach is necessary to address both girls‘ and boys‘ education Advocacy at policy level is not enough - must be combined with advocacy targeting practitioners and stakeholders in the community. Improving educational quality for both girls and boys requires gender-responsive approaches that go beyond the school to reach communities and other practitioners. Gender equity and equality in education are not punctual elements but rather permanently cut across all levels of education policy-making and practice.
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WAY FORWARD
1. 2. Continue lobbying and convincing more governments/MoE to mainstream gender in national education polices and plans. Build long-term, sustainable partnerships with MoE and financial partners to ensure that gender reponsive policies and plans are funded and implemented. Scale up FAWE‘s COE and/or other individual FAWE models Continue to influence the mainstreaming of FAWE‘s sucessful interventions into national edcaution polcies and plans. Continue focus on Secondary school with special attention to vocational/professional training and SMT training for girls.
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Thank you
THANK YOU