Progress on gender and education commitments in Africa

“As we edge towards 2030, UNESCO and FAWE will deepen our partnership to address the trends which see sub-Saharan Africa with over half of the 122 million girls currently out of school and 15 million additional teachers needed for primary and secondary education,” said Elspeth McOmish of UNESCO Headquarters.

Girls’ participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education was a key theme of the Conference. Globally, women are overrepresented in the humanities, the social sciences, and care work, and account for only 35% of STEM tertiary graduates. Social barriers and gender biases push girls away from these fields. UNESCO, informed by its landmark report ‘Cracking the Code’, is accompanying countries to break the bias and foster girls’ interest and confidence in STEM. 

“UNESCO has developed a package of interventions that includes training for STEM teachers, school administrators and ministry officials, awareness raising campaigns for girls and their families, and learning opportunities for girls such as STEM bootcamps. We are also strengthening the capacities of universities to equip women with science and technical skills, for example in countries across Africa. The aim of these programmes is to shift norms around gender equality, so that women students can embrace new roles as entrepreneurs and job creators – and ultimately as catalysts for change,” explained Elspeth McOmish.

The Global Platform for Gender Equality in and through Education and its new Global Accountability Dashboard were also showcased. The multi-stakeholder Platform, co-led by UNESCO, includes government representatives, leaders, partners, champions, an array of stakeholders and activists. The Dashboard monitors the progress of 193 countries against key indicators on gender-transformative education including learning spaces, curricula, teaching and learning materials, and pedagogies. 

“This is very much a living Dashboard, fed by the education and gender community and we need your inputs,” said Marie-France Agblo-Hientz, from UNESCO’s Regional Office for Eastern Africa.

The FAWE Conference ended on a note of optimism as participants looked forward to further efforts, encouraged by the African Union’s designation of 2024 as the Year of Education. 

• Global Accountability Dashboard 
• Global Platform for Gender Equality in and through Education 
• Gender equality in and through education 
• Watch the launch of the Dashboard on the margins of UNESCO’s General Conference