Translated by Andrea Solazzo
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The first Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women's Education was held from 2 to 5 July 2024, organised by the African Union (AU) in collaboration with UNESCO and other organisations. The event brought together government ministers, education experts and civil society representatives to face challenges and promote solutions in the education of girls and women in Africa.
Currently, 50 million girls in Africa do not attend school. According to UNESCO, nine of the ten countries with the highest rates of exclusion from education for girls are in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant girls and girls with children face huge barriers to staying in school. One in five girls in Africa is pregnant before the age of 19, and many drop out of school due to discriminatory policies and negative attitudes.
The conference aimed to evaluate the current state of girls' education in Africa, share progress and best practices, explore innovative and sustainable financing, and build solutions to ensure inclusive, quality and relevant lifelong education. The African Union played a crucial role in organising the conference, using its convening power and capacity to propose policy frameworks to guide member states. The conference was also supported by UNESCO, which co-sponsored the event and provided updates on African countries' progress since the 2022 Education Transformation Summit.
Martín Benavides, Director of IIPE, and Stefania Giannini, Assistant-Director General for Education at UNESCO, highlighted the importance of investing in girls' education to accelerate progress. Benavides participated as main speaker in the high-level ministerial event entitled “Promoting Gender Equality in Education”. During the conference, the work of five winners of the UNESCO Prize for the Education of Girls and Women was presented, including initiatives from Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Egypt and Zimbabwe. These projects have had a significant impact on girls' education in their respective regions.
In line with the AU's year 2024 topic, “Educating an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems to Increase Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa”, the conference provided a platform to collectively evaluate the state of girls' and women's education in Africa, strengthen support for funding and advocacy towards inclusive and transformative education policies. The African Union, together with its partners, will continue to work towards the adoption of robust human rights-compliant policy frameworks, promoting safe and inclusive educational environments for all girls. Collaboration between educational, health and social protection institutions is essential to adequately support girls facing motherhood at a young age.
The education of girls in Africa presents significant challenges. In sub-Saharan Africa, nine million girls between the ages of six and eleven are out of school, compared to six million boys. Girls in conflict-affected areas are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys. Gender equality has not been achieved at any level of education in the region, with disparities persisting at primary, lower secondary and upper secondary level.
The economic impact of not investing in girls' education is severe. UNESCO estimates show that by 2030, the annual private costs of children leaving school early and lacking basic skills in sub-Saharan Africa will represent 19% and 26% of the region's GDP respectively. The economic losses due to girls' lack of learning amount to USD 210 billion for girls and USD 190 billion for boys.
During the conference, UNESCO provided updates on the progress made by countries on the continent since the 2022 Education Transformation Summit. This progress is documented by the Global Platform for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Girls and Women in Education, a multilateral partnership co-led by UNESCO and UNICEF. It supports the development of gender transformative education policies and practices by providing data, resources and technical guidance. It tracks progress towards gender equality goals, ensuring that policies lead to tangible improvements in girls' and women's education through the Global Accountability Dashboard.
UNESCO also presented the work of the five winners of the UNESCO Prize for the Education of Girls and Women from the African region. These included the Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative from Tanzania, the Girl MOVE Academy from Mozambique, the Girl Child Network from Kenya, the Misr El Kheir Foundation from Egypt and the Female Students Network Trust from Zimbabwe. These projects have had a significant impact on girls' education in their respective regions.
Recognising 2024 as the African Union Year of Education under the topic “Educating an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems to increase access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa”, this conference aimed to bring together all the voices on girls' and women's education. The main purpose of the conference is to place equitable access to quality education for girls and women, particularly in humanitarian situations during the AU's Year 2024 Topic, collectively evaluate the state of girls' and women's education in Africa, galvanise support for funding, and strengthen advocacy towards the high-level adoption of transformative and gender-inclusive policies and frameworks.
The conference ended with a call to action to track commitments and progress in the education sector. IIPE will continue to strengthen its partnerships with the African Union and beyond, working together for a better future for all girls and women in Africa. With this collective commitment, Africa can look forward to a future where every girl has access to quality education, preparing her to become a confident and competent leader in the 21st century.
