Girls’ education and advocacy project in Niger

Gender equality: remaining educational challenge

Girls’ education and women’s training have always been a development issue of paramount importance in Niger. Despite the country’s commitment to gender equality and girls’ education, the array of legal instruments, strategies and policies initiated, gender disparities in Niger are still pervasive with regards to educational opportunities and outcomes.

In terms of gender equity, disparities grow more pronounced as students evolve in educational and training cycles. The low representation of girls in secondary and higher education is a result of the low school survival rate of girls at the primary level. For example, at the primary education level, gross enrollment ratio (GER) was 74.7% for girls and 89.5% for boys, according to data of the Education Ministry. At secondary education level, the gross enrollment ratio was 14.9% for girls and 21.7% for boys and at tertiary education level, less than 1 % for girls and 2.7% for boys, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2013 or more recent data).

About the project

The project is designed to contribute to the implementation national plan/strategies, mainly the Sector Programme for Education and Training 2014-2024, which set out objectives of the national strategy for girls’ education. Through deep analysis of learning environments, pilot capacity strengthening, awareness raising activities, and synergies between main actors in that area, this project will specifically contribute to:

• enhance the learning environment to make it more girl-friendly and conducive to learning;
• develop female classroom teachers' capacity to make them role models for girls;
• develop the institutional capacity of school administrators to ensure implementation of plans/strategies, policies and programmes related to gender equality;
• raise key education actors' awareness about gender equality through information and advocacy;
• enhance girls' school retention.

The results achieved at the selected schools (primary and lower secondary) will provide guidance to the decision makers on the implementation of national plan/strategies related to girls education and to provide information to influence future interventions at the country level. Furthermore, special attention will be given to advocacy and partnerships to promote girls and women education while looking for synergies with partners in order to avoid duplication of interventions.