UNITED NATIONS GIRLS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Joint press release: Global experts call for lifelong learning as the cornerstone of development
Over 100 representatives from UN agencies, donors, academia and civil society organizations agreed today to put quality lifelong learning at the heart of the development agenda.

Gender-based violence is a major threat to girls’ education, UNGEI says
NEW YORK, 5 March 2013 – Millions of girls around the world face violence and discrimination due both to their sex and age, in a variety of settings – including on the way to school and at school.

UNGEI strongly condems shooting of 14-year-old girl in Pakistan
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) today condemned the senseless attack on Malala Yousafzai and two other school girls in Pakistan.

Delhi Daredevils partners with UNICEF in its initiative to empower adolescent girls in India
In an effort to support and strengthen the adolescent girls of India, Delhi Daredevils along with Virender Sehwag today announced their partnership with UNICEF.

UN declares October 11th as “International Day of the Girl Child”
The United Nations General Assembly on Monday voted to designate 11 October  as the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ following a two-year campaign spearheaded by Plan International with the support of the Canadian government and supported by a coalition of partners.

Leading donors promise US$1.5 billion over the next three years to put millions more children in school.
Leading donors at the first-ever Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Pledging Conference promised an initial US$1.5 billion over the next three years to put millions more children in school.

High-level UNICEF participation at the Global Partnership for Education Replenishment Conference
What:
Global Partnership for Education Replenishment Conference.

Governments urged to build on innovations, speed up inclusive education reforms for children with disabilities
Some 1.1 million children with disabilities in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States are hidden away at home or in institutions.

Educating one million girls to tackle poverty
Britain will help up to a million of the poorest girls in the world go to school, the Deputy Prime Minister announced today.

New ARTF Grant Aims at Further Improving Education Quality and Infrastructure
Today, the Afghan Ministry of Finance signed an agreement with the World Bank for a grant of $50 million from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). 

UN Girls’ Education Initiative calls for girls’ education to be a top international priority
As the world celebrates Global Action Week for education, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) called for greater efforts at both national and international levels to make education for girls and women a priority.

The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative reaffirms its commitment to empower girls on International Women's Day
On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative reaffirms its commitment to empower girls through quality education to realize their full potential and contribute to transforming societies.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's message on International Women's Day
One hundred years ago, when the world first commemorated International Women's Day, gender equality and women's empowerment were largely radical ideas.

UNGEI Calls for Increase in Investments to Educate Girls, Especially in Conflict
A two-day meeting of the UNGEI Global Advisory Committee concluded in Paris, France, on Tuesday with a call to the world community to continue its investments in educating girls.

UNGEI Consultancy Opportunity
UNGEI seeks to engage a consultant to conduct a review and provide an overview of the current knowledge on how to improve access to and quality of sport and physical education for girls.

FAWE welcomes Oley Dibba-Wadda as new Executive Director
FAWE has welcomed Ms Oley Dibba-Wadda as its new Executive Director, effective 1 January 2011.

Launch of the UNGEI Pakistan Girls’ Education Initiative Statement
It is for a very special event that we gather here today:  the launching of the Pakistan Girls’ Education Initiative (PGEI).

Awaaz Do digital campaign urges Indians to speak up for the eight million children out-of-school
The Awaaz Do on-line campaign was launched today to mobilize Indian society to speak up for the more than eight million children currently out of school in the country.

World leaders and experts meet to raise the profile of education on the development agenda
A brainstorming session to examine ways to make the case for education by showing its powerful impact on all Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be held today, as world leaders gather in New York to review progress on the MDGs.

Message from UNGEI GAC Co-Chairs for Use by UNGA and MDG Summit Delegations
There have been some tremendous achievements with regard to universal primary education.

2010 Soccer World Cup Education Summit statement Pretoria, South Africa
We, Heads of State and Government, and Eminent persons, gathered at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Education Summit on 11 July 2010 in Pretoria at the invitation of the Government of South Africa.

Dakar Declaration on Accelerating Girls’ Education and Gender Equality
  We the participants of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative global conference ‘Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality’, assembled in Dakar in May 2010, call for urgent action in support of girls’ rights to education, gender equality and empowerment opportunities.

Girls’ education conference concludes with strong call to focus on the most marginalized children
DAKAR, Senegal, 26 May 2010 – Although great strides have been made to get more girls into classrooms, those still out of school are likely to be from families already suffering social neglect and deprivation, an international conference concluded, as delegates unanimously passed a declaration aiming to accelerate girls’ access to education.

UNGEI global conference on girls’ education focuses on preventing “56 million wasted opportunities”
DAKAR, Senegal, 17 May 2010 – A conference designed to find new ways to ensure that some 56 million children – most of them girls – do not miss out on their right to education opens in Senegal today.

Media advisory: Girls Education, Focus of United Nations Global Conference - Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality (E4)
Press Conference on the 10th Anniversary of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) global conference. “Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality” (E4 for short). 

Queen Rania of Jordan Launches Children’s Book at UN Headquarters
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan will visit United Nations Headquarters on 27 April to launch a new children's book on cross-cultural understanding.

Statement by Sigrid Kaag, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, on the death of 12-year-old Yemeni girl, three days after her marriage
“The death of Elham Mahdi al-Assi from internal bleeding following intercourse, three days after she was married off to a man at least twice her age, is a painful reminder of the risks girls face when they are married too soon.

Cisco Joins UNGEI to Boost Education for Girls
NEW YORK, 15 March 2010 – The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative welcomes Cisco, a company long committed to promoting education and innovations in learning, as the newest member of its Global Advisory Committee.

UNESCO Director-General joins UN agency heads to promote the rights of adolescent girls
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, has signed the UN Joint Statement on Accelerating Efforts to Advance the Rights of Adolescent Girls. The other signatories are the Executive Heads of UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, ILO and WHO.

Statement on UNGEI Secretariat on the situation in Haiti
NEW YORK, 25 January 2010 - The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is deeply concerned about the situation in Haiti and calls on all parties to ensure that children - particularly girls - are safe.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah's assembly address at The Young Women’s Leadership Network School of East Harlem
Thank you, Ann. It#s an honor to be here with you all this morning; thank you for that warm welcome. What a wave of positive energy to start the day…wow!

Her Majesty Queen Rania and Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Executive Director visit Girls' School in East Harlem
NEW YORK, 21 September 2009 - Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman today met with students and staff at the highly successful Young Women's Leadership School in East Harlem to discuss the important role that quality education plays in improving children’s lives.

News note: Asia and Pacific database on education launched by UNICEF and UNESCO
BANGKOK, 17 August 2009 — UNICEF and UNESCO go online today with a one-stop Education for All database for Asia and the Pacific that enables governments to better identify which of their population’s children are not in school or not learning and why.

Queen Rania designated as Honorary Global Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI)
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, on Wednesday, was appointed Honorary Global Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) in recognition of her efforts to promote access, quality, and innovation in education both in Jordan and across the globe.

UNGEI Statement on Queen Rania’s Appointment as Honorary Global Chair
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is pleased to announce that Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, a tireless and impassioned advocate for the world’s children, has been appointed as its Honorary Global Chair.

The Secretary-General Messsage on World Population Day
NEW YORK, USA, 11 July 2009 - Statement of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on World Population Day

Statement of UNGEI Partners in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia: 12 June World Day Against Child Labour 2009: Give Girls a Chance - End Child Labour
This year’s World Day Against Child Labour marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182 calling on nations to take action to prevent and combat the worst forms of child labour.

Statement by UNGEI on the death of aid workers in the Peshawar blast
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is deeply saddened by the deaths of aid workers in the bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar yesterday. UNGEI strongly condemns this attack.

Statement of UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman on the loss of a staff member in the Peshawar blast
“UNICEF is greatly saddened by the death of a much-loved colleague, Perseveranda So, as a result of the bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar today."

News note: UNGEI Global Advisory Committee: Technical Meeting Recommendations to Global and Regional Levels
The Global Advisory Committee (GAC) of the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) hosted a Technical meeting in New York on 27 May 2009.

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman on International Women’s Day 2009
8 March 2009 – This year, International Women's Day addresses an issue which shames the world. 

Screening of Camfed's 'Where the Water Meets the Sky'
On the occasion of the fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women that will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 2 to 13 March 2009, UNGEI will host a screening of the award-winning film by Camfed, Where the Water Meets the Sky. The theme of this year’s session will focus on the following topic: “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care giving in the context of HIV/AIDS”.

DFID announces major boost for gender equality in Uganda
KAMPALA, Uganda, 24 February 2009 - The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) today announced it will contribute £15 million (USD 21,750,000) over the next 5 years to joint UN programming that will improve gender equality in Uganda.

UNGEI statement on school attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan
NEW YORK, USA, 10 February 2009 – The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) condemns the attacks on schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and calls for all parties to respect the right to education and ensure that children - particularly girls - are safe from violence.

Zimbabwe education crisis worsens
HARARE 10 February 2009 – As the world focuses on the inauguration of Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister and the commencement of a government of national unity, UNICEF today released data revealing that 94% of schools in rural Zimbabwe remain closed and called for a prioritisation of the education sector by the new government.

UNICEF appeals for just over $1 billion to help children and women suffering in emergencies
GENEVA, 27 January 2009 – UNICEF’s 2009 Humanitarian Action Report (HAR) highlights the plight of children and women around the globe in humanitarian emergencies.

UNICEF condemns attacks on schools in Pakistan
GENEVA, 23 January 2009 - UNICEF is deeply concerned about the increasing number of attacks on school buildings in north-western Pakistan.

Extended deadline for ‘Keeping Boys out of Risk’ competition
20 January 2009 - The application deadline for a regional competition launched to identify and promote successful projects working with youth-at-risk in the Caribbean has been extended until 27 January 2009.

Statement from Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller on Gaza
"It is good news that Israel has now declared a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas must now end its attacks on Israel in order to secure peace for the civilian populations in the area."

UNESCO Director-General and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict express grave concern over attacks against Gaza UNRWA schools
7 January 2009 - This follows the shelling by Israeli military of three schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). A large number of civilians, including children were killed, particularly in the third strike, and many more were injured.

HRM Queen Rania on the children of Gaza
AMMAN, Jordan, 5 January 2009 - Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, statement to the press on Gaza.

World Bank and Commonwealth Secretariat Focus on Boys at Risk in the Caribbean
WASHINGTON, DC, United States, 4 December 2008 - The World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat launched today a regional contest to identify, recognize and promote initiatives that have demonstrated success in engaging youth-at-risk in the Caribbean.

Norway contributes $159 million to UNICEF under new cooperation programme
OSLO, Norway - 17 December 2008 - The Government of Norway renewed its commitment to children today, signing an agreement to provide an additional financial contribution to UNICEF programmes for children, with a particular focus on girls, approximately $159 million for the 2008-2009 period - an increase of $9 million over previous years. 

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo sends a special message to girls on World Aids Day
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 1 December - Fresh from a whirlwind concert performance in Witbank, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo joined UNICEF South Africa to help raise awareness about children and  HIV and AIDS on World Aids Day.

A Word From Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah on The World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse
19 November 2008 - Abuse against children takes many forms – violence inflicted upon them or around them; exploitation in factories and fields; trafficking for labor, prostitution, and war; forced marriage and childbearing for little girls who are still just children themselves.

First Lady of Cameroon named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for education and social inclusion
PARIS, France, 13 November 2008 - The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, will designate Chantal Biya, First Lady of Cameroon, as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for education and social inclusion. She will receive the title during a ceremony on 14 November (6.30 p.m.) at UNESCO Headquarters.

UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan Visits UNICEF-Supported Aprendiz City-School in São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo, 24 October 2008– As part of an official state visit to Brazil, UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, visited the Aprendiz City-School in São Paulo this morning.

A tribute to the late Joan Rwabamanzi Ejangu, 1953-2008
23 October 2008 - It is with great sadness that we, the staff of the UNICEF Uganda Country Office, announce the passing, on 15 October 2008, of Ms. Joan Rwabamanzi Ejangu, Education Officer, Moroto Zonal Office.

Joint message on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day
5 October 2008 - Today is World Teachers’ Day, a day when we acknowledge the essential role teachers play in providing children, young people and adults with a relevant and appropriate education.

UNICEF Executive Director’s Togo visit focuses on education
TOGO, 2 September 2008 - Ann M. Veneman, on the first ever visit by a UNICEF Executive Director to Togo, promoted the importance of education to advance development.

Gavin Rajah pledges support to technology education for girls
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 14 August 2008 - Leading South African couturier Gavin Rajah, today marked his first anniversary as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador by pledging support to the work of the global children’s organisation in transforming the lives of children, especially girls, through education.

Education: A 'Social Vaccine' to Prevent the Spread of HIV
MEXICO CITY, Mexico, 1 August 2008 - In the absence of medical vaccine to prevent HIV, we have to use sexuality education as a ‘social vaccine’, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said Friday. She was participating in the first-ever meeting of Latin American and Caribbean ministers of health and education to discuss prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

FAWE’s 7th General Assembly and Executive Committee elections, 2008
NEW YORK, USA, 28 July 2008 – FAWE will host its 7th General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 to 31 July. The theme the event is ‘Advancing girls’ education: scaling up FAWE’s successful models’ and it will focus on strategies to achieve the replication and mainstreaming of FAWE’s successful models for girls’ schooling in education systems across Sub-Saharan Africa.

World experts on girls’ education meet in Kathmandu
Kathmandu, 11 June 2008 – Education experts representing United Nations agencies, donor countries, national governments and non-governmental organizations are meeting in the Nepalese capital today to discuss issues related to gender equality in education in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nike Foundation and Buffetts Join to Invest $100 million in Girls
NEW YORK, New York, 27 May 2008 - The Nike Foundation and Peter and Jennifer Buffett, co-chairs of the NoVo Foundation, announced today an innovative collaboration to invest in “the girl effect”: the ability of adolescent girls in developing countries to bring unprecedented social and economic change to their families, communities and countries.

Business Partnership for Girls' Education launches the summer campaign "Let Me Learn"
YEMEN, 26 May 2008 - The summer campaign for “Let me Learn” initiative spearheaded by Business Partnership for acceleration of Girls’ Education (BPGE) was launched yesterday. The campaign aims at raising awareness on the importance of Girls’ Education to increase girls’ enrollment with motivational messages to encourage parents to send girls to school during the coming academic year.

Media preview of exclusive public service announcement to promote Schools for Africa
JOHANNESBURG, 16 May 2008 - UNICEF today expressed its appreciation to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the generous “gift” of an exclusive television public service announcement (PSA) recorded by Mr. Mandela to promote the Schools for Africa campaign.

UNICEF, Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society sign MOU
JOHANNESBURG, 16 May 2008 - UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) and the Hamburg Society today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Foundation’s headquarters in Johannesburg to consolidate their partnership to promote the six nation Schools for Africa (SFA) campaign.

News Note: School collapses as major earthquake hits China
BEIJING, 12 May 2008 - UNICEF China is deeply concerned that large numbers of children could be affected by a major earthquake in Sichuan Province. China Central Television reports that in one middle school in the city of Du Jiangyan, near Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, a three story school building collapsed and 900 students are trapped in the rubble.

National review of program experiences in support of girls' education in Yemen
SANA’A, Yemen, 21 April 2008 - The National Review of program experiences in support of girls’ education in Yemen was inaugurated here today by the Vice Minister of Education Dr. Abdulaziz Saleh Bin Habtoor. The Review has been jointly organized in coordination with UNICEF and GTZ.

Rwanda launches campaign to keep girls in school
RUHENGERI/RWANDA, 1 March 2007 – A new campaign promoting gender parity in Rwandan schools was launched today by the First Lady of Rwanda and the Rwandan Ministry of Education.

UN envoy hails progress of Afghan schools during Global Action Week for Education
Kabul, 23 April 2008 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan (SRSG), Kai Eide today lauded the progress made by Afghanistan’s schools during a week of international action calling for the inclusive education of all school age children around the globe.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Grammy-award winning artist Shakira to discuss state of global education and out-of-school children in developing countries
Washington, DC, April 19, 2008 – On April 21, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, World Bank President Robert Zoellick, and Grammy award-winning artist Shakira will participate in a media conference call to discuss the state of global education and out-of-school children in developing countries.  This corresponds with the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) Action Week that will take place from April 21-27, 2008.  Brown, Zoellick, and Shakira will join with GCE’s coalition in 120 countries to call on government leaders to support a basic education for all children, including the 72 million young children and 226 million older youths who are out of school around the world.

Bauchi State Government, FME, UNICEF and Civil Society Organisations launch Nigeria Girls’ Education Initiative (NGEI) State Chapters to promote girls’ education in Nigeria
Bauchi, 28 March, 2008: In a concerted effort to address gender disparity in girls’ education in northern Nigeria, the Bauchi State Government, the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), UNICEF and Civil Society Organizations, today at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Hall in Bauchi, kicked off the launch of the Nigerian Girls’ Education Initiative (NGEI) State Chapters in Nigeria.

Back to school in Afghanistan under threat of violence
26 March 2008 - Schools in northern and central Afghanistan reopened Saturday as the education ministry said it planned to expand a protection scheme after unrest left 220 pupils and teachers dead last year.

Gender Equality as Smart Economics, the World Bank’s Gender Action Plan: A Year Later
March 7, 2008 -- A year ago, the World Bank Group launched a new Gender Action Plan to help unleash economic potential of women in developing countries.

Girls’ education will shape progress for Somalia, says UNICEF
Nairobi, Kenya, 7 March 2008 – As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, UNICEF Somalia called for urgent action to get more girls in school.

Path to Promise: Girls Making the Grade
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5, 2008— For millions of teenage girls struggling to overcome poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, a high school education is too often a dream denied.

Statement on the Occasion of International Women's Day
It is good to invest in women and girls, and it pays to do so. This year, on International Women’s Day, UNFPA reaffirms that investing in women and girls is one of the best investments governments can make.

Seeking success stories on quality education
03-03-2008 - An ongoing UNESCO initiative is seeking success stories of communities using information for development. Quality education is one of the categories (the others are poverty reduction; health; disaster prevention; governance and human development).

UN Girls’ Education Initiative launches learning series with focus on model achievements in Egypt
Cairo, 26 February 2008 – Egypt’s model to advance and accelerate girls’ education has been highlighted here today by means of an independent report illustrating the product of multilateral collaboration in the 2002-2007 period.

Japan grants US$13 million to UNESCO initiative to improve literacy in Afghanistan
Paris, 3 March – UNESCO’s Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) in Afghanistan will receive a grant of US$13 million from the Government of Japan. This grant, to be administered by UNESCO, will benefit almost 600,000 individuals, notably women, in 18 Afghan provinces, who are unable to read or write.

DFID: UK announces £250 million aid boost for Ghana
3 March 2008 - On 21 February, during a visit to Ghana, Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, announced a 20% increase in UK aid to Ghana over the next three years, totalling £250 million.

Launch of the Secretary-General's Campaign on Violence Against Women
Statement at the Commission on the Status of Women, New York

Women Make the News 2008: UNESCO’s global action to promote gender equality in the media
Paris, 29 February – Women Make the News, UNESCO’s global operation to promote gender equality in the media, will be launched for the eighth year on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March) 2008 with the aim of encouraging news media to give editorial responsibility to women editors and journalists on that Day.

Call for ‘diverse voices’ to promote gender equality
NEW YORK, NY, 25 February 2008 – There is a pressing need for leadership beyond bureaucracies if gender equality in education is to be achieved, argues Ramya Subrahmanian, a social policy specialist at UNICEF India.

Malaysian delegates prepare for Commonwealth education ministers meeting
Both the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation have held talks with a high level Malaysian delegation to discuss preparations for the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (17CCEM).

The Henry R. Kravis Prize In Leadership Awarded To The Forum For African Women Educationalists
Claremont McKenna College and the Kravis Leadership Institute announced today the selection of The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), to receive the third annual Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership.

Rwandan government and local donors join forces to achieve education for all in Rwanda
Davos, Switzerland, 25 January 2008 – The World Economic Forum’s Global Education Initiative (GEI), partnering with the Education For All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) under the banner of the Global Education Alliance (GEA), is working to use the strengths of the private sector and foundations to achieve education for all in low-income countries.

UK leads “International Inspiration” as developing countries get sporting boost
21 January 2008 - The Prime Minister announced today a £9 million investment program to support sporting projects in five developing countries around the world. The pilot is the start of a larger programme called “International Inspiration” which will deliver on the promise made to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Singapore of engaging and inspiring the youth of the world through sport.

Norway contributes US$4 million to UNESCO education activities
21-01-2008 - Norway is to support UNESCO education activities in 2008 and 2009 to the tune of over US$4 million, under a cooperation agreement signed on 21 January.

Call for ‘diverse voices’ to promote gender equality
Without partnerships between a number of representatives across different societies progress is unlikely to be made, says education expert

2008: The Year Ahead in Education
Quality, inclusion, financing and governance in education are some of the major themes UNESCO will address in 2008.

Promoting the rights of young girls
“Although progress is being made to promote equality, many young girls continue to face significant barriers” – Jyotsna Jha, Gender Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat

Midway to the 2015 target date: meeting of the High Level Group on Education for All in Dakar
Two Heads of State, Ministers of Education from 15 countries, representatives of the main donor countries, multilateral organizations, representatives of civil society and the private sector will meet from 11 to 13 December in Dakar (Senegal) to examine the different means of accelerating progress towards the six goals of Education for All (EFA) set by 164 countries in Dakar in 2000.

World AIDS Day 2007: HIV-positive teachers lead the way
UNESCO is supporting the launch of a network of HIV-positive teachers in Namibia on World AIDS Day, 1 December, increasing the number of similar networks in countries in East and Southern Africa.

Education for All on the right track finds Global Monitoring Report 2008 launched by UNESCO
The number of children starting primary school has increased sharply since 2000, there are more girls in school than ever before and spending on education and aid has risen. That’s the good news, according to the sixth edition of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, released by UNESCO today. But on the down side, poor quality, the high cost of schooling and persisting high levels of adult illiteracy are undermining the chances of achieving education for all* by 2015.

Financial Times selects Camfed for its seasonal appeal charitable partner for second consecutive year
Cambridge, UK (November 27, 2007) — Camfed, an international non-profit organization that supports girls’ education in rural communities in Africa, has been selected by the Financial Times as its seasonal appeal charitable partner for a second consecutive year.

Media Advisory: Education under attack
A global study on targeted political and military violence against education staff, students, teachers, union and government officials, and institutions

News note: Iraqi children return to school with hope and fear
AMMAN/BAGHDAD/ERBIL, 6 October 2007 - Nearly six million Iraqi children are going back to the classroom this week - a remarkable achievement due to extraordinary efforts by parents, teachers and local officials to keep Iraq’s schools open and functioning.

World Teachers’ Day 2007
5 October 2007 - Today, on World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate teachers and the central role they play in efforts to achieve quality education for all children.

Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative gets a boost
KABUL, 13 September 2007 - A three-year plan to promote girls’ education was developed in Kabul this week during a workshop organized by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s Girls’ Education Initiative working group.

Opportunities lost and gained – a seminar on girls and education
Oslo, 10 August 2007 – The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Norad will hold a seminar entitled “Opportunities lost and gained – a seminar on girls and education” in Olso on 30 August.

UNICEF welcomes Jordan's offer of education to Iraqi children
AMMAN / GENEVA, 10 August, 2007 - UNICEF welcomes the Government of Jordan's recent announcement that it will open all public schools to Iraqi children.

UNICEF calls for protection of schools and learning spaces in Timor Leste
DILI / TIMOR-LESTE, 10 August 2007 – UNICEF strongly condemns the destruction and vandalizing of schools, learning spaces and play areas during the ongoing unrest in certain parts of Timor-Leste.

Pierrette Vu Thi on UNICEF, UNHCR appeal for education of Iraqi children in host countries
GENEVA, 27 July 2007 - Over the past year and a half, we have the seen the conflict in Iraq spill over its borders, pushing families in distress to neighbouring countries like Syria and Jordan. In these situations, children often suffer the most.

UNHCR and UNICEF issue joint appeal to get Iraqi children back to school
GENEVA, 27 July 2007 - UNICEF and the UN refugee agency today issued a $129 million joint appeal aimed at getting tens of thousands of uprooted Iraqi children back in school.

Pakistan needs funds now to restore children’s education in flooded southwest
ISLAMABAD, 3 August 2007 – UNICEF is concerned that primary school education could become a casualty of the floods that have affected southwest Pakistan in the wake of cyclone Yemyin in late June.

Gender inequality saps gains in basic education: East Asia/Pacific
BANGKOK, 5 July 2007 – In East Asia and the Pacific, gender inequalities in basic education are still pervasive.

Statement on the continued attacks on schools and schoolchildren in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan, 10 July 2007- “On Monday, July 9, two rockets fired by militants struck a primary school in Kunar province, killing one child instantly and injuring three other children. That same night, a school was burnt in Ghore province. And today a suicide bomber hit a Uruzgan province marketplace filled with schoolchildren.

Gender Inequality Saps Gains in Basic Education: East Asia/Pacific
BANGKOK, 5 July 2007 – In East Asia and the Pacific, gender inequalities in basic education are still pervasive.

Media Advisory: Gender inequality in education – A challenge in East Asia and the Pacific
2 July 2007 - Delegates from 13 countries to brainstorm on policies and strategies to end gender discrimination and bias in teaching and learning.

UNICEF: Education under fire
NEW YORK / GENEVA, 29 JUNE 2007 – UNICEF today condemned continuing attacks on schoolchildren and educational facilities in conflict zones around the world.  "Attacks on schoolchildren are unacceptable,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. “Schools must be safe environments for children to learn and thrive.”

Palestinian youth in northern Lebanon head back to school two weeks into refugee camp crisis
BEIRUT, 5 June 2007 – As fighting continues in Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli in north Lebanon, eight school buses are bringing some normalcy into the disrupted lives of youth affected by the conflict.

UNICEF urges leaders to increase commitment to education
BRUSSELS, 2 May 2007 – UNICEF today joins political leaders and education advocates in their call for more and faster aid for education. The call comes at a high-level meeting focusing on the theme ‘Keeping our promises on education’.

Damavand Mineral Water Co-UNICEF team up for Girls’ Education in Iran
TEHRAN, 18th April 2007 - Damavand Mineral Water Company and UNICEF Iran today entered into a unique partnership to benefit children.

Media Advisory: International summit to call for faster, long-term aid to educate the world's children before 2015
BRUSSELS/ LONDON / WASHINGTON, 12 April 2007 – Rich country donors, international organizations along with civil society leaders, will appeal for concrete new aid commitments to educate all the world's children by 2015 during a High-Level Education Conference in Brussels on 2 May 2007. 

DFID - Delivering education beyond borders
5 April 2007 - The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, and the Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, today set out their vision for delivering education to children affected by conflict or living in fragile states.

UNICEF receives award for work in Afghanistan
JALALABAD/AFGHANISTAN, 25 March 2007 - UNICEF was chosen as the top United Nations agency for its work in the field of education in the Eastern region of Afghanistan. UNICEF has provided assistance with school construction, teacher training, school and child protection, the provision of teaching and learning materials, and support for community-based schools in this region.

Global Campaign for Education urges donors to give resources not rhetoric
13 March 2007 - Activists from hundreds of organizations around the world, united under the banner ‘Global Campaign for Education’ (GCE) today welcomed Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development’s announcement of an exceptional high-level donor conference on education in Brussels this spring.

Financial Times raises more than $1.2 million for CAMFED International through Seasonal Appeal
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 2 March 2007 — CAMFED International, a Cambridge, UK-based organization that supports girls’ education in rural communities in Africa, announced today that it has raised more than $1.2 million through the Financial Times Seasonal Appeal.

UNICEF gears up to boost Afghan education as new school year begins
19 March 2007 – With more than 6 million Afghan children returning to school this week in grades 1 to 12, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has set itself a target of enrolling 400,000 more girls in basic education, providing learning materials to 5.4 million youngsters up to grade 9, and supplying teaching materials for over 100,000 teachers.

Despite progress, girls subjected to violence and discrimination
NEW YORK, 5 March 2007 – Violence against women and girls is one of the most extreme forms of inequality, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said today on the occasion of the 51st Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Rwanda launches campaign to keep girls in school
RUHENGERI/RWANDA, 1 March 2007 – A new campaign promoting gender parity in Rwandan schools was launched today by the First Lady of Rwanda and the Rwandan Ministry of Education.

Concerted efforts needed to improve Post-Primary Education in Eastern and Southern Africa
Addis Ababa, 27 Feb 2007: Experts and education officials from 20 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are calling upon governments and development agencies to pay greater attention to the large number of children who fail to proceed to secondary school because of limited opportunities.

Media advisory: Young people speak up on the status of girls
Children, policymakers and child-rights activists will convene for a series of events marking the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), brought together by UNICEF and partners.

Media Advisory: Uganda to launch “Go to School, Back to School, Stay in School” campaign
1.3 million children in conflict-affected north and northeast to benefit from UNICEF-backed effort to boost primary school enrolment, retention and completion

Queen Rania becomes UNICEF’s first Eminent Advocate for Children at the World Economic Forum
DAVOS, 26 January 2007 – UNICEF and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah signed an agreement at the World Economic Forum in Davos today naming the Queen of Jordan as UNICEF’s first ever Eminent Advocate for Children.

UNESCO: Education at the 7th World Social Forum
January 2007 - UNESCO’s Education Sector is co-organizing three workshops at the World Social Forum (Nairobi, Kenya, 20 -25 January). The workshops, jointly organized with partner NGOs and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, will address literacy, girls’ education and civil society’s influence on education.

DFID - Developing global partnerships in education: The World Classroom
4 January 2007 - Chancellor Gordon Brown and International Development Secretary Hilary Benn today launched “The World Classroom” a new publication showcasing how UK schools build links with schools in the developing world.

Netherlands gives UNICEF largest single donation ever
GENEVA/THE HAGUE, 22 December 2006 - Millions of children in the developing world have a new ray of hope as the Dutch Government today announced it has pledged $201 million to UNICEF to radically expand the agency's ongoing efforts to ensure that children in conflict, natural disasters and emerging from crisis can go to school.

Oxfam: Seven million Afghan children missing an education
27 November 2006 - More than half of all Afghan children still do not go to school despite a five-fold increase in enrolments since 2001, according to a new report published today by international agency, Oxfam.

UNICEF: Early childhood care key to gender equality
CAIRO, 13 November 2006 – UNICEF today called on governments and others committed to universal education and gender equality to remember that the earliest years are the most critical for children’s development.

Launch of the 2007 Education for All Global Monitoring Report
PARIS/NEW YORK, 26 October 2006- Latin America and the Caribbean leads the developing world in the provision of pre-school education, according to the annual Education for All Global Monitoring Report*, published by UNESCO today. 

Major progress report on education to be launched at UNICEF House
The Global Monitoring Report 2007 highlights importance of early childhood development for children to succeed in school

Zimbabwe launches ground-breaking national girls' education strategic plan
HARARE, 18 October 2006 – The United Nations in collaboration with the government and civil society launched a ground-breaking National Girls Education Strategic Plan to increase Zimbabwe’s likelihood of achieving universal primary education and ensuring girls stay in school.

Spotlight on Girls’ Education in East Asia and the Pacific
12 October 2006 - The Regional Group on the United Nation's Girl's Education Initiative (UNGEI ) in East Asia and the Pacific met on 6 October 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand.

World Teachers' Day: Teachers key to meeting major Commonwealth challenges
LONDON, UK, 5th October 2006 - Speech by Rt Hon Don McKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary-General, World Teachers’ Day Conference (‘Optimising Commonwealth Teacher Potential’)(Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Teachers’ Grouping, National Union of Teachers), Marlborough House, London, UK.

UNESCO Director-General condemns murder of women’s rights champion and educationalist, Safia Ama Jan
3 October 2006 - The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today vigorously condemned the murder of Afghan women’s rights defender and leading advocate of education for girls, Safia Ama Jan, who was gunned down outside her home in Kandahar on 25 September.

Joint Message on the Occasion of World Teachers’ Day 2006
5 October 2006 - On World Teachers’ Day 2006 we celebrate teachers and their enormous contribution to learning and social development.

Mongolia welcomed Into prestigious “Education For All” Fast-Track Initiative
22 September 2006 – Helping Mongolia achieve universal basic education for all school children countrywide, the country was accepted into the prestigious “Education For All” Fast-Track Initiative (FTI) Partnership, the World Bank reported today.

The Education of Girls in the Developing World
NEW YORK, NY, USA, 29 September 2006 -  Remarks by Dr. Paula Dobriansky, United States Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs at UN headquarters in New York City, 25 September 2006.

Statement by Danish Minister Ulla Tørnæs on WB World Development Report 2007
Presentation of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation, 26 September 2006, opening speech by Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ms. Ulla Tørnæs.

NoVo Foundation awards $15 million to IRC for West Africa education programs
NEW YORK, USA, 22 September 2006 - The International Rescue Committee received the largest private donation in its history after the NoVo Foundation pledged $15 million over six years to support IRC’s work with children and youth in West Africa.

Tanzania: Early marriage puts girls at risk of HIV
21 September 2006 – Data collected by the Tanzania Media Women Association shows a strong correlation between HIV/AIDS, early school exit, teenage marriage and pregnancy.

Speech by First Lady of the United States at the Global Literacy Conference in New York
20 September 2006 - Transcript of speech by Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States, at the Global Literacy Conference in New York on Monday 18 September.

UNICEF opens standard-setting schools in Indonesia's Aceh
BANDA ACEH, 18 September 2006 - The first of 367 permanent schools for Aceh and Nias were officially opened on Monday with support from UNICEF.

UNICEF, Nigeria sign 5.4 million dollars pact on girls' education
15 September 2006 - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno have signed a 700 million naira (about 5.4 million U.S. dollars) project implementation agreement to address the problem of girl education in the next five years.

Orange, France Telecom and UNICEF unite for girls education in Madagascar
ANTANANARIVO, 7 September 2006 - Orange Madagascar, France Telecom and UNICEF Madagascar signed a US$ 20,000, two-year partnership this morning to promote the education of girls in Madagascar.

Back-to-School Campaign in Timor-Leste ready for roll out
DILI, 1 September 2006 – Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Education and Culture and UNICEF will launch a nationwide ‘Back to School’ campaign on Monday 4 September to encourage over 200,000 children to resume formal education at the start of a new school year.

DFID: New partnership and funding boost for UNICEF
5 September 2006 - Helping to save the lives of children, sending more boys and girls to school and improving their protection and rights received a boost today with the launch of a new partnership between the UK, Sweden and Canada to support the work of UNICEF.

Private Sector comes forward to support girls’ education in Yemen
YEMEN, 5 September 2006 - Yemen’s national efforts for acceleration of girls education and reduction of the gender gap are getting a major boost with the launch of Business Partnership for Girls Education that marks the beginning of a novel tripartite coalition between government, private sector and UNICEF.

Girl Power: girls' education, sexual behaviour and AIDS in Africa
28 August 2006 - Girls educated to secondary and tertiary levels are more likely to wait before having sex, are much more likely to use condoms when they do have sex, and are therefore at much less risk of contracting HIV, according to a new report released on 15 August.

UNICEF backs government efforts to ensure Lebanese children return to school on time
BEIRUT, 23 August 2006 - International donors have been urged to support the Lebanese government’s efforts to ensure that the destruction and upheaval caused by the recent conflict does not prevent children returning to class for the new academic year.

World Bank: Countries urged to empower women, reduce stigma, to fight HIV
18 August 2006—More than two decades ago, when the AIDS epidemic was still in its infancy, those battling the disease in Africa made a serious miscalculation.

Afghanistan: UN expert voices outrage as number of attacks on Afghan schools leaps
9 August 2006 – The number of attacks by terrorist groups against Afghan schools during the first half of this year was almost three times the level for the whole of 2005, prompting a United Nations expert on the right to education to express his “profound condemnation” and to voice concern that girls are suffering the most from the terrorists’ campaign.

UNGEI in East Asia and Pacific region to meet in August
7 August 2006 - The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) for East Asia and the Pacific will hold its next meeting on 8 August 2006 at ESCAP, UN Building in Bangkok.

UNICEF alarmed as attacks on Afghan schools rise
KABUL/GENEVA, 4 August 2006 – UNICEF warned today that schools in Afghanistan are the targets of increasingly dramatic attacks, noting that reported incidents have spread from the south and southeastern region to all of the provinces and include 11 explosions, 50 school burnings and 37 threats against schools and communities. 

Karimojong in Uganda advised to educate girls
MOROTO, Uganda, 31 July 2006 - In a bid to promote girl child education in Karamoja, the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) was launched in Moroto district.

UNICEF appeals for $23.8 million as part of flash appeal for Middle East crisis
NEW YORK/GENEVA/BEIRUT, 24 July 2006 – UNICEF today launched an appeal for $ 23.8 million to support children caught in the crisis in Lebanon and Syria.

DFID's White Paper: Making governance work for the poor
24 July 2006 - On Thursday 13 July DFID launched its new White Paper on International Development, 'eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor'.

Gambia: Education in the Gambia - the Sky is the Limit
GAMBIA, 28 July 2006 (Culled From Banjul AU Summit Magazine) - The Department of State for Education conspicuously stands out as a vibrant arm of government that has undergone unprecedented developments from 1994 to date.

UNGEI Vacancy - Job Announcement
NEW YORK, NY, 28 July 2006 - The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is currently seeking applicants to fulfil the role of Senior Project Officer, Head of UNGEI Secretariat, Education Section, Programme Division. 

UNICEF and Ministry of Education provide 10,000 school benches to Liberian schools
MONROVIA, 17 July 2006 – In partnership with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF is constructing 10,000 three-seat benches for distribution to 100 government schools in five counties.  A combined total of 30,000 students in Bong, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Montserrado and Nimba Counties will benefit from this donation.

UNICEF announces $150 million earthquake recovery plan
ISLAMABAD, 11 JULY 2006 – UNICEF will construct 500 permanent schools and around 70 permanent rural health centres in areas devastated by Pakistan’s October 2005 earthquake, as part of its 150 million dollar contribution to the recovery plan for affected areas.

G8 Education Ministers vow to ensure equitable access to education
12 July 2006 (UNESCO) - Following a two-day meeting in Moscow last week, the G8 education ministers have issued a joint statement outlining their objectives and plans of action. 

Turning talk into action: G8 Gleneagles one year on
11 July 2006 - A year ago, world leaders at the G8 summit in Gleneagles signed up to an unparalleled set of commitments on global poverty.

World Bank: School Enrollments Rising as African Nations Reform Education Systems
6 July 2006—After decades of setbacks in education, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are sending more children to school and taking steps to improve education quality.

Asian Cricket Council and UNICEF take the field for children and against AIDS
KATHMANDU/ KUALA LUMPUR, 26 June 2006 - The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and UNICEF have renewed their international partnership for children. The new agreement continues to promote Girls Education in South Asia and the right of all children to enjoy healthy recreation, but will also now support the Global Campaign on HIV/AIDS ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’.

Tony Blair: We Are Making Poverty History
From the Daily Mirror online, Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - I was pleased to see the Mirror yesterday hailing the Gleneagles agreements on Africa as historic.

World’s Children to be Given Voice at G8 Summit
For the first time in the history of the G8 Summit, children will get the chance to share their views directly with G8 leaders and influence the outcome of their deliberations.

Newsweek: Taliban's efforts to get girls out of school, girls' determination to stay in school
20 June 2006 - Summer vacation has only begun, but as far as 12-year-old Nooria is concerned, the best thing is knowing she has a school to go back to in the fall.

The 2006 ‘All girls to school’ campaign launched in Benin
COTONOU, 15 June, 2006 – Two Ministers, Agnes Van Ardenne, the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, and Colette Houeto, Beninese Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, got on the back of a ‘zemidjan’, sporting the yellow shirt of the notorious taxi-motorcycles of Cotonou, blazoned with the logo of the campaign ‘Toutes les filles à l’école’, or ‘All girls to school’.

USAID/ETHIOPIA Basic Education Program (BESO) reflects on impact of 10-year project
ADDIS ADABA, Ethiopia (U.S. Embassy), 19 June 2006 - On 14 June, USAID and the Ethiopian Ministry of Education celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Basic Education Support Objective (BESO) Program at the Addis Ababa Hilton in the presence of U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Vicki Huddleston and H.E. Dr. Sentayehu Woldemichael, Minister of Education.

GCE: 'Broken Promises' on the 30th Anniversary of the Day of the African Child
16 June 2006 - In Africa today over 40 million children are living with the consequences of broken promises - the promise of being able to go to school. Two thirds of all children in Africa will not complete five years of education.

Cambodia: Report on ending child labor to expand education, reduce poverty
NEW YORK, NY, USA, 14 June 2006 - Child labor constitutes a key obstacle to universal primary education, human resources development and the elimination of poverty, according to the report titled "Children's Work in Cambodia", released by the International Labor Organization (ILO), UNICEF and the World Bank.

5th CARK Education Forum Opens in Ashgabat
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, 13 June 2006 – Education deputy ministers of the five Central Asian republics and representatives of international organisations including UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank and USAID were among the one hundred participants who attended the opening ceremony of the CARK Education Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. 

News note: G-8 Ministerial Meeting on Education, Moscow, 1-2 June
12 June 2006 - The G8 Ministers of Education met in Moscow on 1-2 June 2006 to confirm their commitment to cooperation in education at all levels in the 21st century.

Global Coalition on Women and AIDS Announces 2006 Empower Women: Fight AIDS
DETROIT, Michigan, USA, 8 June 2006– In an effort to inspire action, encourage meaningful dialogue, and increase public awareness about the unique challenges facing women and girls in a world with AIDS, the UNAIDS-led Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA) has announced the kickoff of its 2006 four-city Empower Women: Fight AIDS U.S. Tour.

U.K Calls for a Global New Deal with Africa
ABUJA, Nigeria, 24 May 2006 – A two-day conference of African finance and education ministers as well as other stakeholders on Financing for Development ended in Abuja on Monday with the adoption of  a series of actions to be taken by the countries and their development partners aimed at achieving  the Millennium Development Goals.

CARE condemns shortcomings in the fight against AIDS
NEW YORK, NY, USA, 31 May 2006 -- In testimony before the United Nations General Assembly today, CARE International cited failures in the international community’s response to AIDS and called for bolder actions by governments, donors and non-governmental organizations

UNOPS and UNICEF rebuild schools in four counties
MONROVIA, Liberia,17 May 2006 – UNICEF and its partner, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), have completed the rehabilitation and refurbishment of 13 government schools in four Liberian counties.

League of Arab States and UNICEF focus on teacher qualifications
AMMAN/CAIRO, 30 May 2006 - Formulas to advance the quality of education in the Arab World by focusing on teacher training and professional qualifications was the subject of a first League of Arab States (LAS) - UNICEF expert meeting in Cairo. According to UNESCO, the Arab region needs to train an additional 450,000 teachers by 2015.

Britain commits US $15 billion for education in Africa
24 May 2006 – British Chancellor Gordon Brown said at a meeting of African Finance and Education Ministers in Abuja, Nigeria on Monday, that he would press fellow Group of Eight (G8) countries to boost funding for education in developing nations at the June meeting of G8 Finance Ministers in St. Petersburg.

DFID: Opportunity for higher education to tackle global poverty
UK, 16 May 2006 - The UK Government and the British Council called on higher education institutions in the UK and 25 developing counties to bid for a share of £15 million of new funding for ways to fight global poverty.

Dutch government boosting girls' education in Ethiopia
ADDIS ADABA, Ethiopia, 15 May 2006 – Seven regions of Ethiopia is set to receive US$12 million over three years from the Netherlands Government after UNICEF and the Royal Netherlands Government Embassy in Addis Ababa signed an agreement today in support of increasing access to quality education for girls. The regions are Afar, Somali, Amhara, Oromia, Benishangul, Gambella and SNNPR.

Voices of Courage Awards Luncheon 2006
NEW YORK, NY, USA, 10 May 2006 - The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is honoring education advocates from Sierra Leone and Afghanistan at its 2006 Voices of Courage Awards luncheon on May 11 in New York City. Other awardees include an international network that promotes education in emergencies and Microsoft for its work providing technology to women in developing countries. Caroline Kennedy will be presenting the awards; Leslie Stahl is the luncheon’s host.

Yemen: Government waives girls’ tuition fees to boost female enrolment
SANAA, Yemen, 7 May 2006 (IRIN) - The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday its decision to waive primary school tuition fees for female students in an effort to encourage school enrolment among girls.

ActionAid: Violence undermining girls’ education by forcing them out of school
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 4 May 2006 - ActionAid International is convening a regional conference on Violence Against Girls in Schools – Towards Sustainable Strategies in Harare, Zimbabwe from the 8–10 May 2006 to address this critical issue of violence against young women.

Second Arab Regional Media Forum concludes in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 4 May 2006 – Media representatives and experts at the Second regional media forum today concluded an extensive review of the situation surrounding Arab girls' access to education and remaining challenges in several countries to ensure sustained enrolment and retention in school.

World Bank: Easing mobility constraints for women key to bridging gender gaps in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 4, 2006 - Restrictions on both physical mobility and access to information for women in Pakistan undercuts their ability to acquire key services and pursue life opportunities, according to the World Bank’s Country Gender Assessment (CGA) report launched today.  It also finds there have been major improvements in the lives of women in Pakistan in many ways.

Second Arab Regional Media Forum on child rights kicks off in Dubai
DUBAI, UAE, 2 May 2006 – Arab media professionals, human rights organizations, academia and UN agencies today initiated an in-depth dialogue on the issue of girls' education in the Arab world with expectations to leverage enhanced commitment from governments, civil society and communities to support sustained access of girls to quality education.

Dubai: Second Arab Regional Media Forum - Girls' Education
UNICEF, in partnership with the WFP, UNESCO, the Dubai Humanitarian, the Dubai Press Club, Al Bayan Newspaper, the Arab Institute for Human Rights and the Center for Arab Women for Training & Research (CAWTAR) are holding the Second Arab Regional Media Forum; an event calling for enhanced partnerships to promote sustainable opportunities for girls' primary and secondary schooling in the region.

Teacher shortages threaten quality Education For All
PARIS, France, 25 April 2006 - Sub-Saharan Africa will need another 1.6 million teachers in classrooms by 2015 to provide every child with a primary education, according to a new report by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). Chronic shortages are also expected in the Arab States, which will need to expand their teaching force by 26% in less than a decade to achieve the same goal.

‘Education for All’ week in Yemen brings teachers on board
SANA’A, 25 April 2006 – During ‘Education for All’ week, Yemen is stepping up efforts to overcome barriers to universal primary education.

Liberia to Launch Girls’ Education National Policy
MONROVIA, 17 April 2006 – The Government of Liberia will launch its National Girls’ Education Policy tomorrow.  The policy calls for a collective effort to reach Millennium Development Goal 2: universal primary education for every Liberian child.

UNGEI Launch in West and Central Africa
DAKAR, Senegal, 13 April 2006 - The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) Regional Network for West & Central Africa was launched today in Dakar, Senegal by a wide partnership of UN agencies, national and local governments and non-governmental organizations.  UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Yvonne Chaka- Chaka, participated in the launch of the network. “The challenges we face in terms of access to education for girls in this region are enormous, but they are achievable when we join all our efforts,” she said at the launch.

DFID: £7.5 million boost for school links
UK, 11 April 2006 - Hilary Benn, International Development Secretary, today announced a boost for DFID’s Global School Partnerships (GSP) Programme, more than doubling funding to £7.5 million over three years. The programme funds teacher exchanges to increase engagement by UK schools with teachers and students across the developing world and raise awareness of development issues.

Media Advisory: West and Central Africa - Regional UNGEI Launch
DAKAR, Senegal, 11-13 April 2006 - Launch of the Regional Partnership Network for Girls’ Education & Gender in Education

School Fees for Africa: Coming to grips with an elusive promise
NAIROBI, 4 April 2006 – UNICEF, the World Bank, USAID and a range of partners are developing a “How-To” Guide for countries seeking a breakthrough in universal basic education by abolishing school fees. Drawing on the experience of African countries that have eliminated school fees, the goal is to help countries develop education systems that are inclusive, equitable and sustainable.

WFP: Involving men in creating a level playing field for women
ROME, Italy, 7 March 2006 – The United Nations World Food Programme has chosen the theme of “Partnering with Men to Achieve Gender Equality” for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD)*, to stress the importance of the two sexes working together to improve women’s lives around the world.   While ensuring that women are prioritized in WFP’s food aid operations, the agency today highlights the value of involving men in the struggle to achieve lasting equality.

CAMFED: Marking International Women’s Day
8 March 2006 - Statement by Ann Cotton, CAMFED Founder & Executive Director

UNICEF: Despite progress, women still subjected to widespread violence and discrimination
WASHINGTON, D.C., 8 March 2006 -- Despite great progress for women in the past several decades, women throughout the world are still subjected to discrimination, violence and exploitation, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said today.

UNICEF: World not doing nearly enough to protect children affected by AIDS
LONDON, 9 February 2006 - The global response to children affected by HIV and AIDS does not come close to matching the enormity of their rapidly expanding plight.

UK announces major support for Education in Kenya
17 January 2006 - The UK Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, today announced that the UK would be providing a £55m grant to support implementation of the Ministry of Education’s five year plan, the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (2005-2010).

Speech by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation at EFA Conference
5 February 2006 - Speech by Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation in Denmark, at the Education for All Conference 25 January 2006 in Eigtveds Pakhus, Copenhagen.

CAMFED to Chair UN Initiative for Girls’ Education
January 2006, from www.camfed.org - CAMFED’s vital work to improve educational opportunities for girls in some of the world’s poorest countries has received international recognition with an invitation to co-chair the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) in 2006.

Botswana: Launch of the UN Girls/Boys Education Movement and dissemination of “Telling the Story” research findings
Children and young people march to underscore ‘Zero Tolerance Against Gender Based Violence’.

Clock strikes midnight on promise by governments
GENEVA / BEIJING, 25 November 2005 – Forty-six countries have fallen short of the target of getting as many girls as boys into school by 2005, UNICEF said today, launching a report illustrating progress and challenges toward achieving gender equity in education.

GIRLS! WE CAN NO LONGER BE LEFT OUT!
FREETOWN, 8 July 2005: As global efforts intensify towards meeting the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sierra Leone today joins the campaign on the promotion of girls’ education with the launching of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI).

Central Asian countries agree to improve quality and access to education by 2015
DUSHANBE, 9 June, 2005 – Concluding a 3-day meeting in Warzob, delegates from five Central Asian countries committed to speeding up the common education reform process in each country in the face of limited resources for investment in the education sector.

Despite gains in girls' education worldwide, far too many still missing out
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 April 2005 – More children than ever are going to school, in part because more girls are going to school: That’s the good news from UNICEF’s latest Progress for Children report, focusing on gender parity in primary school attendance.

Leading international experts offer an action plan for accelerating progress on achieving gender parity in education target
With the international community’s failure to meet the first Millennium Development Goal target in 2005 for equal participation in education for girls and boys, leading international experts from a broad sector of civil society and multilateral organizations warned that unless bold actions are taken by countries, reaching the 2015 goal of universal primary education may be dangerously at risk.

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy on Beijing+10
Ten years ago, at the time of the Beijing Conference on Women, I had just begun my job as Executive Director of UNICEF. Now, as we commemorate Beijing Plus 10, I am only a few months away from leaving UNICEF. So I have come full circle – I started with Beijing, last week I actually was in Beijing, and I am talking about Beijing today.