NEWS AND EVENTS
2010
Join the post-2015 Global Consultation on Education
As the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, there are increasing debates on what a post-2015 agenda and framework should look like. The Global Consultation on Education aims to bring together youth, civil society, NGOs, academia, Governments and private sector to contribute their experiences and ideas on how to achieve better, wider and more equitable access to quality learning for all around the globe.
Gender and Education experts meet in New York to reflect on the EFA Global Monitoring Report
A recent report reveals the urgent need to invest in skills for the 116 million young women aged 15 to 24 who fail to complete primary school and lack skills for work.
Podcast: 2012 Education for All Global Monitoring Report calls for investment in developing young people's skills
One in five young people aged 15 to 24 in 123 low- and middle-income countries has been left out of primary education and lacks skills for work. Of these people, the majority are young women.
School Meals In Egypt: Big Dreams In Small Villages
While most of their elder sisters got married between the ages of 16 and 18, Aya and Amani say they do not want to get married early and want to pursue their education and become doctors. The two girls, aged 9 and 10, joined a school close to their home where WFP implements its school meals programme in cooperation with the government and civil society.
What does education mean to girls in Ghana?
"Out of seven children, I am the only one who went to school. I look and think differently from my siblings. I am able to make informed decisions and can never be cheated by any one. I am loved, respected and treated like a heroine in my family and my community.
South Sudan: WFP Girls’ Ration Increases School Attendance in Eastern Equatoria
School officials in South Sudan say a monthly take-home food ration from the World Food Programme (WFP) has helped to reduce the number of female students dropping out of school.
Podcast: Celebrating International Day of the Girl Child
Today, 11 October, marks the first ever International Day of the Girl Child, a day set by the United Nations to highlight the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. This year’s theme is “Ending Child Marriage”, chosen because child marriage denies a girl of her childhood, disrupts her education, limits her opportunities, increases her risk of violence and abuse, and jeopardizes her health.
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.
We can end child marriage! On Day of the Girl, let’s talk how
Did you know that 11 October 2012 marks the first ever International Day of the Girl Child? It’s a global celebration of adolescent girls and overdue recognition that if we unlock their potential, we can build a healthier, more just and prosperous world.
UNESCO launches new Teacher Strategy for 2012-2015
UNESCO is launching its teacher strategy for 2012-2015 to introduce its priorities, action lines and role in relation to teachers. The strategy aims to provide a framework for the whole range of activities that UNESCO will develop from 2012 to 2015.
Camfed graduate to serve as advisor on global education policy
Camfed are thrilled to announce that 24-year-old Abigail Kaindu, a former Camfed bursary student, has been appointed to a top-level panel that will directly advise the UN Secretary General on global education policy
Didier Drogba partners with FAWE to mark 20 years of working for equal education for African children
Côte d’Ivoire football star Didier Drogba has partnered with FAWE to mark the organisation’s 20th anniversary advocating for equal education for African girls and boys.
20 years on – FAWE returns to its birthplace to chart its new course for the future
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, FAWE has brought together a core group of its key partners to the place where it was founded in September 1992 to chart a new course for the organisation.
HALF THE SKY
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the FHI 360-managed Communication for Change (C-Change) project has supported the development of 18 short educational and advocacy videos aimed at increasing global awareness and bringing about social change for critical health and gender equality and empowerment topics.
Nora Fyles becomes new Head of UNGEI Secretariat
Nora Fyles has assumed the role of Head of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) Secretariat. She is the third Head of UNGEI since it was launched in 2000 by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
UK invests £12 million in girls’ education in Zimbabwe via Camfed
Zimbabwe’s Education Minister formally launched a £12 million investment in girls’ education on Wednesday that will enable 24,000 girls from the poorest rural families to enrol in and complete secondary school.
Development of the young helps development of a nation
Around 20 children aged 4 to 5 are singing enthusiastically in front a colorful house. Their joy is reflected in their parents’ faces. Here, at the Mekar Melati early childhood development center in Sukabumi, the children are very fortunate because they receive services that help their cognitive development.
Monitoring goes mobile: how Camfed is revolutionising data collection in rural Africa
Camfed tracks every dollar and pound it spends on girls’ education in Africa to make sure the girls and young women it supports are getting the full benefit of money from donors. It’s essential work, but it’s also time-consuming: since 1993 Camfed has supported more than 60,000 girls and young women through school and provided training to thousands more across five countries in Africa.
100 literacy classes for girls and women open in Senegal
A team from UNESCO Dakar and the Senegalese Ministry of Education travelled some 4000 kilometers during the last week of April 2012 to launch the classes.
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative Global Advisory Committee sets path to 2015 and beyond
The Global Advisory Committee (GAC) of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) today concluded a five-day meeting in Kampala. The meeting focused on a strategic review of the partnership in the lead-up to the Millennium Development Goals target date and following the recent formative evaluation of the partnership
New UNGEI Evaluation Report Highlights Achievements and Challenges
The important findings and recommendations of the global, regional, and country-level evaluation of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), conducted in 2011, have been recently published in a new report, the Formative Evaluation of The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative. The findings will be critical in charting the course of UNGEI in the future.
Podcast: Global Action Week promotes early childhood education
Every year, more than 200 million children under age 5 are not able to reach their full potential in cognitive development potential due to poverty, gender discrimination, conflict, malnutrition, inadequate care and lack of educational opportunities.
Youth advocates help enrol of out-of-school children in Pakistan
Walking through the narrow streets of Ahmedabad, an urban slum on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, 22-year-old Syed Mohsin Raza saw a barefoot school-aged girl playing outside her house.
Linking girls’ education with healthier, safer transitions to adulthood
Governments, civil society and the private sector recognise that education can be a transformative force for individuals as well as societies. Decades of research support the associations between women’s educational attainment and improved maternal health, child nutrition, economic growth and gender equality.
Empowering adolescent girls in Ethiopia and Tanzania
Adolescent girls in the northern Tanzania districts of Shinyanga Rural, Kahama and Micheweni are confronted with poverty, early marriage and pregnancy and an overall low prioritization of education in their communities.
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.
New York Launch of World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education
The first World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education, a comprehensive overview of the progress, as well as remaining gaps in gender equality at all educational levels, was launched today in New York on 27 March 27.
UN Girls’ Education Initiative reaffirms the need for education to be central to improving the lives of women and girls
This year, International Women's Day focuses on the theme: "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”. With one in five girls in developing countries who enroll in primary school failing to finish, it is clear that without progress in education, too many girls will be denied the chance to realize their potential.
Podcast: What does it take to educate a girl?
Significant progress has been made towards providing education for all, yet according to UNESCO an estimated 67 million children still remain out of school – and over half of them are girls.
Launch of World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education
To mark International Women’s Day, UNESCO and the UIS have jointly released the World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education, which includes over 120 maps, charts and tables featuring a wide range of sex-disaggregated indicators.
UNICEF and partners promote girls' education in Darfur, Suda
No one quite knows how Qud al Haboob elementary school got its name. From its location, on the dusty outskirts of Darfur’s largest town, Nyala, one may surmise it refers to the blinding haboob dust-storms that sweep periodically across much of Sudan.
UNGEI to host event on the empowerment of rural girls
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) will host a panel discussion entitled “Empowering Rural Girls: From Invisibility to Agency” in partnership with UN Women, UNICEF, and Plan International as a side event of the 56th Commission on the Status of Women.
E-Discussion Forum - Gender equality in education: Looking beyond parity - 26 March to 6 April 2012
Globally, 39 million girls are currently not enrolled in either primary or secondary education, while two–thirds of the world’s 796 million illiterate adults are women. Only about one third of countries have achieved gender parity at secondary level. The evidence shows that something needs to change.
Prioritizing education and promoting gender equality in South Sudan
Education is a key priority for the government of the world’s newest nation, South Sudan.
A brighter future for Rwanda’s girls
On the outskirts of Rwanda’s capital, a UNICEF-supported child-friendly school is helping to transform the way girls access education.
Earning 20/20 for education – FAWE to mark 20th anniversary with major advocacy campaign
In 2012, FAWE will celebrate 20 years of enhancing girls’ and women’s education in Africa.To mark the occasion, FAWE will organise with a major advocacy campaign across sub-Saharan Africa that seeks to reinvigorate action on quality education for all Africans – both female and male.
2011- The year in education for UNESCO
The year 2011 saw UNESCO launch many important education initiatives. It included a symbolic return by the international community to Jomtien, Thailand, to give a new impetus to the EFA movement which first began there 20 years ago.
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.
Google grant to fund groundbreaking use of technology to keep girls in school
Google announced its support of a groundbreaking initiative to empower girls and young women in Tanzania by merging education and technological innovation.
Lacking Sanitary Pads, Girls Miss School in Dadaab Refugee Camp
Braving the scorching sun and feet-baking sandy soil, with a torn schoolbag hanging precariously on her back, Halima, a 16-year-old Somali girl, walks to school in the camp where her family has sought refuge.
‘Techno Girl’ programme tackles skills shortage
An innovative public-private partnership, seeking to reverse the growing skills shortage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in South Africa, is encouraging girls to pursue careers in these fields by giving them first-hand, real-world experience.
UNICEF-supported initiative aims to make girls’ education a priority in Kenya
Lowa Lokopu, lost her husband four years ago after he fell ill. Forced to take up the responsibility of running a family alone, she struggles to provide for her five children.
Building a solid foundation for a brighter future in Afghanistan through education
In a neat, well designed classroom in the Panjshir Valley, 30 girls listen intently as their female teacher instructs them in grammar and writing. Although common today, this was largely unheard of only a decade ago.
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.
Discussing the importance of achieving universal quality education for all children
The Global Partnership for Education has helped more than 19 million children go to school for the first time. A campaign to renew support for these efforts will culminate in a pledging event in Copenhagen on 7-8 November.
Education in a world of 7 billion people
The impact of education on demography is widely known and acknowledged. Education for women and girls, in particular, translates into lifetime benefits including higher incomes and lower child and maternal mortality.
A primary school becomes a model for increasing girls’ enrolment
Access to education is one of the key priorities for the government of the world’s newest nation, South Sudan.
In Zimbabwe, school grants provide equal learning opportunities to girls
After completing the fourth grade at the top of her class, 13-year-old Ellen Mbedzi was forced to drop out of Mafeha Primary School in Bulilima, a district in south-western Zimbabwe. Her unemployed father did not see the value of spending the family’s limited resources on a girl.
A new government program aims to provide a free education for all Haiti's children
Lucien, 11, is the only child in his class not wearing a uniform. Sporting a t-shirt and jeans, he looks out of place amid throngs of children wearing neatly ironed, identical blue and white uniforms.
Education for All: Zambia’s Stunning Success
Ensuring girls go to school and mobilizing their local communities to help keep them there are vital strategies to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of ‘education for all’.
Summit participants join efforts to educate and empower girls
Representatives from United Nations agencies, governments, the private sector and civil society recently gathered at the Women & Girls Education Summit in New York, to explore linkages between girls’ education and economic development.
Joint Message from UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and Education International on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, 5 October 2011
Today, on World Teachers’ Day, we honour the millions of educators all over the world who devote their lives to teaching children, youth and adults.
In Yemen, one female student is speaking out for girls’ education
There is a spirit of harmony in one classroom packed with teenage students at the Al-Hussein Ben Ali School in Al-Mazahin; where the boys happily take their place on the floor, leaving the few available desks for the girls.
2011 World Teachers' Day
World Teachers’ Day is a global observance to acknowledge all teachers for their contributions to society. The joint East Asia and Pacific and South Asia Regional United Nations Girls’ Education Initiatives join the international community in celebrating the important role that teachers play in realizing this year’s theme of ‘Teachers for Gender Equality’.
Forum on Gender Equality in education
UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) will host a High Level Policy Forum on “Gender equality in education: Looking beyond parity” on 3 and 4 October in Paris.
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.
FAWE Research initiative 2011/2012 Call for Proposals
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) announces a call for the second round of research proposals from research institutions for its Strengthening Gender Research to Improve Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa Initiative.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah meets with Head of UNGEI Secretariat
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan met with Cheryl Gregory Faye, Head of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) Secretariat, and Maria Calivis, UNICEF’s outgoing Chief of Staff and incoming Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, on 20 September, to discuss how UNGEI is contributing toward the progress in girls’ education and what needs to be done to bridge the gaps.
Mildred makes history
Last month, 28-year-old Mildred from western Zambia became the first person in her village to graduate from university. Mildred grew up in a family of nine children in Shangombo, a remote district off the electricity grid where poverty runs deep.
Women and the 2012 World Development Report
For 23 year old Nguyen Thu Hie from Toan Thang, Vietnam, making a decision about employment is not easy. It’s not the question of what to do that preoccupies her, but the prospect of paid employment itself - whether to work or to stay at home.
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.
Kenyan schools struggle to cope with influx of children displaced by drought
Dekha Mohamed Noor, 15, has not seen her family for more than a month. At the end of July, after schools closed for the August holidays, they sent her to live with a relative in Garissa, a bustling commercial hub 165 km west of her home village, Modogashe.
Camfed film premieres around the world
Three years ago, Camfed launched an innovative program to empower young women entrepreneurs in Zambia, in partnership with the 10,000 Women initiative and the University of Cambridge.
Stimulating dialogue on gender and education in Africa – FAWE launches new African research series
Gender equality in education is a primary concern of the World Declaration on Education for All.
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).
Consultant, Development of Knowledge Management Strategy for UNGEI
The consultant, in dialogue with the KMWG and UNGEI Secretariat, will be responsible for proposing and developing an overall knowledge management strategy for UNGEI, including budget and timeline for implementation.
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In Kabul, the Government of Japan funds new classrooms to improve education
New classrooms, chairs and desks mean better education at Shirino High School, one of the schools renovated and refurbished with funds from the Government of Japan as part of its ‘1,000 Classrooms’ initiative
Viewing Guide for To Educate a Girl documentary film
To Educate a Girl, a documentary film supported by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), introduces a pressing global issue: the struggles girls around the world face daily to get an education. To Educate a Girl looks at just a few children and youth in two countries, Uganda and Nepal, but the issue is present worldwide
World Parliamentarians Appeal for Investing in Girls
A group of parliamentarians committed to population and development issues have called on governments meeting at the G8 summit in Deauville, France, to invest substantially in protecting girls, addressing the challenges posed by the world’s population dynamics, and fulfil existing financial pledges, particularly in the areas of health, population and human rights.
Indigenous Indian children thrive in child-friendly residential schools
Krupasindhuv Pangi knows the challenges that indigenous communities face. At the age of five, his family lost their land when it was taken from them to build a factory.
New education initiative targets hard to reach girls in Cameroon
Cameroon’s national efforts in accelerating progress in girls’ education got a major boost with the launch of the “My Education, My Future” initiative on 4 May.
ASPBAE Basic Leadership Development Course
The Basic Leadership Development Course, or the BLDC, is a significant learning event hosted by ASPBAE for its members on the 12 - 17 September 2011 in Medan, Indonesia.
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.
In Côte d’Ivoire, schools re-open slowly in wake of post-election violence
This week schools have slowly started to re-open in Côte d’Ivoire’s largest city, Abidjan, and across the country. But many challenges remain.
“Yes She Can!” 2011 Global Action Week on EFA (2 - 8 May): mobilizing millions for girls' education
“It is a Right, Make it Right! Education for Girls and Women Now.” Citing the slogan of the 2011 Global Action Week (GAW) on Education for All, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova delivered a strong message in support of the campaign: “We can get it right with strong political will, smart policies and adequate resources.
Schools shut as fear drives teachers away
The local school in Wana, the main settlement in Pakistani’s South Waziristan tribal agency, has been closed for several months, and the children only come to play games in the compound.
Pakistan’s first female football club breaks down cultural barriers
On a scorching, early morning in Karachi, a dozen girls - some wearing shawls and burqas in the blistering heat - arrive in a large walled field, ready to practice football.
In Benin, new monitoring tool engages illiterate parents in their children's education
Bana Lafia, 12, can do something her parents cannot - read.
UNICEF reports on changing attitudes towards education for girls in rural Pakistan.
Pakistan’s catastrophic flooding last summer is leading to a change in attitudes towards sending girls to school.
UNESCO partners with GEMS Education to bolster teacher training
UNESCO and GEMS Education, owner and operator of over 100 international schools worldwide, have joined forces to tackle looming teacher shortages in developing countries
20 Years Jomtien: Education for All
Some 40 global leaders met at the 10th Meeting of the High-Level Group (HLG) on Education for All (EFA) from 22 to 24 March in Jomtien, Thailand.
Global Action Week will take place from 2 to 8 May
The 2011 Global Action Week (GAW) on Education for All (EFA) will take place from 2 to 8 May
Education Ministers commit to achieve Education for All
During the 10th High-Level Group Meeting on Education for All, Ministers and high-level representatives from 34 countries reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the six Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015
High Level Group to stress urgency of achieving Education for All by 2015
Progress made so far towards the internationally-agreed Education for All (EFA) goals, and the short period left for countries to reach them, will be the focus of the Tenth High-Level Group Meeting on Education For All (EFA) in Jomtien (Thailand) from 22 to 24 March.
World Day - 12 June 2011: Warning! Children in hazardous work - End child labour
The ILO’s most recent global estimate is that 115 million children are involved in hazardous work. This is work that by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm children’s health, safety or morals.
History is making a new republic in Southern Sudan. Education will build its future.
With formal independence ahead in July, the world’s soon-to-be newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan faces a daunting state-building task.
'If You Want To Be A Doctor, You Need School'
One of the benefits of school meals programmes is that they encourage parents in poor countries to send young girls to school. This means they get an education and, hopefully, the means to pull themselves out of poverty. Without that incentive, school may not be an option – as Salama and Naima found out recently.
Making strides in closing the gender gap in education
Burkina Faso has come a long way in addressing the education needs of its children. In 2000, just 44 per cent were enrolled in primary schools. By 2010, this had increased to almost 75 per cent.
Sponsoring scholarships for the most vulnerable girls
Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. This year’s theme – ‘Equal Access to Education, Training and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women’ – focuses on promoting the education of women and girls worldwide.
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.
Two Girls Demonstrate Power Of School Meals
As the world marks International Women’s Day this week, two East African girls called Fatuma and Nyipher are working hard to ensure they get the education they need to become the sort of women who won’t need food aid in the future. Both of their life stories involve the timely arrival of nutritious school meals.
20 Years Jomtien: Education for All, 22-24 March 2011, Jomtien, Thailand
Some 40 global leaders will meet at the 10th Meeting of the High-Level Group (HLG) on Education for All (EFA) from 22 to 24 March in Jomtien, Thailand.
Left Unchecked, Violence against Girls Will Morally Doom Efforts to Reach Millennium Development Goals
UNICEF Says Girl Victims of Violence Still Treated as Criminals; Panellists Tell Harrowing Stories of Turning to Prostitution, Trading Sex for School Grades
Invest in the Future: Empower Girls Now
UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin's remarks at a ministerial meeting hosted by the UN Adolescent Girls Task Force during the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all
The United Nations Economic and Social Council is meeting at UN Headquarters in New York this week on partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all children.
ECOSOC global philanthropy event to boost funding for education
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will convene a special event, “Partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all” on 28 February 2011, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Advancing girls’ secondary education: obstacles and opportunities
Irina Bokova, Director-General UNESCO, will open a high-level panel discussion on girls’ secondary education organized by UNESCO and the International Federation of University Women on 28 February at the UN, New York.
UNGEI event highlights importance of technology in girls' education
As the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women takes place in New York this week to promote women’s and girls’ access to education, training, science and technology, the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) brings together a diverse group of partners from governments, civil society, private sector and girls themselves to explore how technology can empower and promote girls’ development.
Kenya: School Meals Help Girl Rise To Top Of Class
Nyipher remembers having to fight to keep her eyes open in school. Even when she could stay awake, she says it was a daily struggle to keep her mind on the lesson and off her empty stomach.
Empowering Girls: Education and Technology CSW side event
In conjunction with UNICEF and Plan International, the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is hosting a side event during the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women to explore how technology can empower girls and promote their development, discuss the opportunities that the information technology sector offers young women, and present new cutting-edge findings from Plan’s 2010 Because I am a Girl Report: Digital and Urban Frontiers.
FAWE contributes to Packard Foundation/UNESCO consultation on reduction of secondary school drop-out
FAWE presented perspectives on achieving lower drop-out rates for secondary schoolgirls in Africa at a consultative meeting on girls’ education in Africa organised by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Regional Office and UNESCO in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5 January 2011.
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.
FAWE and CODESRIA launch phase II of FAWE-Norad gender and education research initiative
FAWE has partnered with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) to launch phase II of an initiative that aims to support gender research by African women to enhance girls’ education in sub-Saharan Africa and facilitate the integration of gender into education policy and practice in the region.
Request for Proposals to Design and Implement the Evaluation for Cross-national Evaluation of the Girls’ Education Program
Room to Read is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to design and implement a crossnational evaluation of our Girls’ Education program. The period of performance includes 2011 as a planning year as well as 2012-2014 for data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Christine's story: A 14-year-old Haitian student braves the aftermath of the earthquake
Last month a UNICEF communications team met up with Christine, 14, outside her family’s tent in a displacement camp near the Port-au-Prince airport. Five months earlier, the team had followed the young earthquake survivor for several days to see how she managed to achieve top marks in school while living in a cramped shelter with her mother, brother and sister.
Food Makes Learning Possible For Ambitious Haitian Girl
Marie Anika, 8, wants to work in a bank when she grows up. At the moment, however, she lives in a tent where her house used to be before the earthquake. But that hasn’t stopped her from going to school or dreaming about the future thanks to the hearty meals she eats everyday in class.
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.
Returning to become a nurse; the dream of a southern Sudanese returnee girl.
With the Southern Sudan referendum scheduled for January 9, hundreds of thousands of southerners are heading back to southern Sudan by road, rail, barge and planes. While some are assisted to return by the South Sudan government, many others are coming on their own.
Pakistan Girls’ Education Initiative Launched to tackle inequality
In a concerted effort to address gender disparities in education, Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Education, with the support of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), the UNGEI Secretariat, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), launched the Pakistan Girls’ Education Initiative (PGEI) on 9 December at the Pakistan National Council for Arts, Islamabad.
In Senegal, Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo addresses violence in schools
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo, known throughout West Africa and around the world for her powerful singing voice, urged students at a Dakar elementary school to speak up about what is often a silent crime: violence in schools.
UNICEF and partners help educate children displaced by conflict in DR Congo
Ujumbe Kiwabantu and her family were displaced by the conflict in DR Congo two years ago, when they fled their home and came to live with distant relatives in Walikale, a remote rainforest territory.
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).
Child-friendly schools create opportunities for all in targeted districts across Yemen
Schools in developed countries might take some basics for granted, including skilled teachers and an atmosphere that is conducive to children’s well-being.
Every Child Belongs in School
There are 45 million children in Africa who desperately want to go to school, but can’t.
School Meals Help Young Girl Stay in School
WFP Zambia is providing school meals to 300,000 children in 829 schools in the country. School meals encourage children from poor households to go to school, stay in class and learn.
Complementary education programme puts children back to school in Eritrea
In a sustained effort to provide primary education for all, a UNICEF-supported programme of Complementary Elementary Education (CEE) is attempting to reach the children and young adults in Eritrea who had initially missed the opportunity to attend school
Child-Friendly Schools Documentary Series: Rising Voices
A UNICEF film series on education titled Rising Voices features on the newly launched ViewChange.org. Rising Voices, features six documentary films focusing on the personal stories of students in different countries and contexts in which child-friendly school policies are being implemented.
Every child has the right to education!
“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a good example of the largest number of ratifications of any convention," remarks Kishore Singh, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.
Workshop on Governance for FAWE Chairpersons update
For three days (17th to 19th November 2010), the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) is holding a workshop on Governance at the Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
Senegalese girls forced to drop out of school and work as domestic help
When she was eight years old, Aisatou Ba quit school and began working as a maid. Though she begged her parents to let her stay in school, the economic pressure on the family proved too strong.
Workshop on Governance for FAWE Chairpersons
For three days (17th to 19th November 2010), the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) is holding a workshop on Governance at the Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
'Education for All' Leaders Agree Partnership is Key to Achieving Goals
More powerful messages and reinforced cooperation within countries are keys to increasing political commitment to education, said chiefs and top representatives of the Education for All convening agencies at a meeting led by UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova at the United Nations.
Regional Seminar on Teacher Policies in Asia-Pacific, 17-19 November 2010, Bangkok, Thailand
UNESCO Bangkok together with the Office of Education Council of Thailand (OEC) is organizing a Regional Seminar on Teacher Policies in Asia-Pacific that will be held at Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, in Bangkok.
Focus on women and youth crucial for development in Arab region – Migiro
Ensuring jobs for young people and empowering women are vital to advance development in the Arab region, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today, calling on countries to tap the potential of these two important segments of society.
FAWE in Uganda
As the FAWE Executive Director Dr. Codou Diaw and executive members meet with donors, partners and Friends of FAWE (FoF) all around the world to talk about FAWE’s work and hopes, the communication team is in the field capturing pictures of beneficiaries and collecting stories of human interest.
Benin on track to achieve universal primary education
Ten years since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Benin is today on track to ensure primary education for all by 2015, provided current efforts are maintained.
Ethiopia Partners with the U.S. to Put Girls’ Education First
First Lady Azeb Mesfin has been steadfast in her determination to collaborate with USAID on the award of scholarships to meritorious girls who would otherwise have to drop out of school.
UNGEI GAC goes green
The Global Advisory Committee (GAC) of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) held its first virtual meeting via UNGEI GAC partner, Cisco’s innovative TelePresence technology today.
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.
Evaluation of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI)
The UNGEI partnership is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified consultants, who will act as the International Lead Evaluator, to provide services in carrying out an evaluation of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (as per the attached TOR).
'Recovery begins with Teachers': World Teachers' Day 5 October
Live testimonies from teachers supporting recovery worldwide and a photo exhibition which shows teachers in demanding situations are among the high points of the World Teachers’ Day celebrations on 5 October in UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
Camfed Announces Major New Partnerships at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
Last week, Camfed Directors Ann Cotton and Brooke Hutchinson and scholarship alumna Enita Mashika attended the prestigious Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City.
Partnership for Girls’ Education and Gender Equality
For two days, partners from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The Forum for African Educationalists’ (FAWE) Regional Secretariat, FAWE National Chapters and government partners gathered at the Silver Spring Hotel in Nairobi to discuss the issue of Girls’ Education and Gender Equality within the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative’ (UNGEI) vision.
Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without education says UNESCO Director-General
“If we want to make development sustainable, we have to invest in education,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova told participants at a high-level brainstorming session held during the Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York on Tuesday 22 September.
Investing in education will help advance global anti-poverty targets – UN
Top United Nations officials have stressed education as the key to progress towards achieving global social and development targets such as reducing poverty, enhancing gender equality and combating disease.
Ghana strives for universal access to primary education by abolishing school fees
School fees are widely recognized as a major barrier to achieving Millennium Development Goal 2 on universal access to primary education.
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.
Many women and girls left out of development gains, UN agency reports
In spite of strides made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), large numbers of women and girls, especially those in rural areas, have been left behind and continue to live in exclusion and poverty, according to United Nations data unveiled today.
Gender equity beyond primary education
The 2010 edition of UNICEF’s ‘Progress for Children’ shows that despite advancement towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), many of the poorest and most disadvantaged children are still missing out.
UNGEI partners and Qatar to co-host Round Table on education at MDG summit
Save the Children, Qatar, UNESCO and UNICEF are co-hosting a High-Level Round Table Luncheon on the theme “The central role of education in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)” on 22 September at the forthcoming MDG Summit.
Education is the key to lasting development
As world leaders prepare to meet in New York later this month to discuss progress on the Millennium Development Goals, UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report is releasing new data to highlight how education helps fight poverty, and empowers people with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to shape a better future.
Renewing commitments to end poverty by 2015
World leaders – possibly the largest-ever gathering of heads of state – will meet at the United Nations from 20-22 September.
UNESCO Future Forum on Gender Equality to be held in Athens (Greece) from 9-11 September
On the eve of the Millenium Development Goals Summit (New York, 20-22 September), UNESCO and the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO are organizing a Forum on the theme “Gender equality: the missing link? – Rethinking the internationally agreed development goals beyond 2015”.
Bank Pledges New Spending to Help Countries Achieve MDGs
As world leaders gather at UN headquarters next week to review MDGs progress to date, the World Bank Group has announced that it will mobilize significant new funding for health, education, and agriculture to help countries achieve their MDGs by 2015.
Strides still needed in girls' education, says women's rights expert
Education is a key component of United Nations Millennium Development Goal 3: to promote gender equality and empowerment of women.
Cape Verde: School-Meals Girl Now A Career Woman
In 1990, seven-year-old Vera Tavares starred in a WFP documentary about the nutritious lunches that were keeping her in school.
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.
AED hosts Melinda Gates, Graça Machel, Hans Rosling and Mechai Viravaidya on TEDxChange
Please join AED on September 20, 2010 for a D.C. viewing and discussion of the global event TEDxChange, featuring Melinda Gates and other development leaders discussing the Millennium Development Goals.
MDG Summit on 20-22 September 2010 in New York
United Nations High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG Summit) (20-22 September 2010, New York)
Escaping poverty through education
Christine, 14, lives in a camp for displaced people near the international airport here in the Haitian capital.
Upcoming IIEP Policy Forum: Challenges of financing basic education
Revisiting solutions involving the private sector 9-10 September 2010, Paris
ZIMBABWE: Pregnancy need not put an end to education
Falling pregnant used to mean the end of school – and of much more - for girls in Zimbabwe, so a new regulation replacing immediate expulsion with maternity leave has been welcomed.
UNESCO to hold Round Table at MDG summit
UNESCO is hosting a High-Level Round Table Luncheon on the theme “Education and the Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs) on 22 September at the forthcoming MDG Summit.
Child-friendly schools make a progressive leap in Cambodia
Long Kan Buthom, 11, performs a traditional Khmer dance with ease.
UNICEF-supported child-friendly schools bring education to rural Ghana
Elizabeth, 12, is fighting to achieve a dream that was once also her father’s – completing an education.
In Côte d'Ivoire, mothers start a club to invest in the future of girls' education
Habibata Ouattara was 17 years old when she was removed from school and forced to marry a man her family had chosen for her.
Kishore Singh: Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education
Dr. Kishore Singh, who was responsible for the right to education at UNESCO for many years, was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education by the UN Human Rights Council on 18 June 2010.
Unique education programmes brighten the future for Afghanistan's young women
The city of Herat is the setting for ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ – Khaled Hosseini’s powerful, best-selling novel about the harsh conditions of women in Afghanistan.
In rural India, improved sanitation and iron supplements help girls stay in school
Rina, 16, has copper-painted toenails and a matching floral ‘kurta,’ or blouse. A pendant of the local tribal goddess Sarna hangs from her neck.
Education at the Millennium Development Goals Summit, 20-22 September
Preparations are well under way for the High-Level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (United Nations, New York, 20-22 September 2010) which aim to halve the rate of extreme poverty in the world by 2015.
How Can the Bank Help Young Women Find Work?
When young women engage in productive work they raise their incomes, lift their families from poverty, often delay marriage and childbirth, and increase investment in their children's health and education, all important implications for poverty reduction, and potential economic growth.
May Rihani, AED takes part in a Commission on the Status of Women online discussion.
May Rihani, Senior Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development (AED), joins the Commission on the Status of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women in an online discussion on the linkages between women’s and girls' access to and participation in formal and non-formal education and training, and their equal access to full employment and decent work.
UNICEF supports efforts to end sexual harassment of girls and women in Bangladesh
Hundreds of people, many of them adolescents, rallied in the streets of Narsingdi district recently to call for an end to ‘Eve teasing’ – a term used to describe the public bullying of girls and women by boys and men
Free primary education: A stepping stone towards a better future for Liberia
At 6 a.m., Atleta Suomie is already hard at work sweeping the floor and arranging the merchandise in her family’s small store
Education in Sudan – AED Expert Speaks on CSPAN
Speaking on CSPAN last week in a panel discussion, Elizabeth Leu, senior education advisor with the AED Global Education Center, shared her expertise on efforts to improve education in Sudan, a country that has experienced civil war for 21 years.
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.
Keep the Vuvuzelas Ringing for Education
Irina Bokova was addressing African heads of state, donor representatives and 1Goal ambassadors at the 2010 World Cup Education Summit convened by President Zuma of South Africa a few hours before the final game on 11 July 2010.
Young pupil’s plea for children’s education
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell joined African leaders on Sunday to hear a young girl’s plea to deliver education for 72 million children worldwide
Girls’ School benefits from FAWE Sierra Leone’s Successful Partnerships
The Waterloo Junior Secondary School for Girls is a very good example of a successful partnership.
Educating Haiti’s children, six months on
Today marks the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti, killing more than 220,000, displacing many more and severely affecting the education system.
Life skills-based education builds young Somalis' self-confidence
Muna Ali Hirsi, 24, is a vibrant and motivated life-skills mentor who works with young people aged 12 to 21 in north-west Somalia (Somaliland).
UNESCO connects Haitian and French children through books
On January 12, 2010, the earthquake that struck Haiti took the lives of 300, 000 people and destroyed most of the administrative and educational infrastructure of the country.
Success stories highlighted at UNESCO-UNICEF breakfast meeting on Women’s and Girls’ Education
“Expanding women and girls’ education means progress across all development goals”, UNESCO’s Director-General affirmed at the opening of the ministerial breakfast meeting organized as part of the 2010 high-level segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
WFP And 1Goal Team Up For Education
As the World Cup 2010 builds to a climax, the 1Goal campaign is using soccer fever to draw attention to the over 72 million children denied proper schooling. By providing daily meals to schools around the world, WFP is using nutrition to help meet the goal of universal education.
In Istanbul, UNICEF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics launch joint education project
ISTANBUL, Turkey, 30 June 2010 – While Turkey has made significant progress in reducing the number of out-of-school girls in recent decades, the number of girls in school continues to decline sharply by the fifth and sixth grades.
As FIFA World Cup 2010 kicks off, Zambian youth journalists speak out
MONGU, Zambia, 17 June 2010 – For Inonge Sitali, 14, a radio dialogue with peers about the FIFA World Cup 2010 – which kicked off 11June in South Africa – is more than a casual conversation. It is an opportunity to discuss important gender issues in her local community of Mongu, in western Zambia.
Delegates Announced for First-Ever G(irls)20 Summit
The G(irls)20 Summit Organizers are pleased to announce the delegates for the first-ever G(irls)20 Summit.
Fixing the future of Mali's child workers
In Mali, approximately two out of three children aged 5 to 17 work. This represents over 3 million children. Few of them go to school and 40 per cent of children aged 5 to 14 perform hazardous tasks. The situation of migrant girls is of particular concern. ILO Online reports.
Eliminating child labour in Bolivia: The role of education
Education is often cited as the key to eliminating child labour. But by itself, education isn’t enough. ILO Online reports from Bolivia showing how adding decent work for adults to education of children, together, with a quotient of political will, can make the equation work.
Podcast - Beyond Access: Quality Education for Life
The Millennium Development Goals call for universal access to education by 2015; however, simply getting children into school may not be enough to improve life opportunities for boys and girls and reduce the gender gap.
Safe havens protect children from abuse and exploitation in Benin
Sophie, 13, was promised into an arranged marriage by her older brother. When she refused, he physically abused her. “He beat me up and told me he was going to kill me,” Sophie said.
In Senegal, UNICEF Executive Director cites the urgency of education for all
Surrounded by the concrete bricks and flood-stained walls of her school, Anta, 11, attends classes and dreams of becoming a paediatrician. She knows she is lucky.
Girls’ education conference calls for accelerated action on reaching most excluded children
Even as the number of out of school children has dropped to a record low, the most vulnerable children who stand to benefit the most from education continue to be denied the opportunity to learn, global education leaders gathered here at the ‘Engendering Empowerment: Equality and Education (E4) conference said, calling for accelerated action to reverse this trend.
Girls’ education conference calls for accelerated action on reaching most excluded children
Even as the number of out of school children has dropped to a record low, the most vulnerable children who stand to benefit the most from education continue to be denied the opportunity to learn, global education leaders gathered here at the ‘Engendering Empowerment: Equality and Education (E4) conference said, calling for accelerated action to reverse this trend.
Leaders for Education Series - Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, UNGEI Honorary Global Chair and UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, shares her feelings and experiences in securing the rights for all girls and boys. In the final installment of the Leaders for Education Series, Queen Rania lends her inspirational voice calling upon leaders and policymakers to keep firm their commitments to educate the world’s children.
Poverty, conflict and girls' right to education
NEW YORK, USA, 20 May 2010 – More than half of the 72 million primary school-aged children out of school are girls. These children mostly come from the world’s poorest communities and, in many cases, from nations with long histories of conflict.
Her Majesty Queen Rania, UNGEI Honorary Global Chair of UNGEI
In July 2009, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, was also appointed Honorary Global Chair of UNGEI in recognition of her efforts to promote access, quality, and innovation in education both in Jordan and across the globe.
Sir Ben Kingsley, Actor
After earning an Academy Award, two Golden Globes and two BAFTA Awards for his riveting portrayal of Indian social leader Mahatma Gandhi, Sir Ben Kingsley continues to bring unequaled detail and nuance to each role.
Dr. Paul Farmer, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti
Medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer has dedicated his life to improving health care for the world's poorest people. In August 2009, Dr. Farmer was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as the Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti. In this capacity, he will support President Clinton and the people of Haiti in the implementing the Government of Haiti’s long term goals and priorities.
Leaders for Education Series - Paul Farmer
Dr. Paul Farmer, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti and co-founder of Partners in Health, speaks to us about his experiences working around the globe and witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of education. He maintains that investing in girls' education is vital to development, in terms of economic growth, promoting equity and as a basic human right.
Leaders for Education Series - Sir Ben Kingsley
Academy Award winning actor, Sir Ben Kingsley speaks with us on the impact education has in and out of school, the inspiration and knowledge he found in his own schooling and the need to teach and learn at all stages in life as a vital means to a peaceful world.
UNICEF Executive Director speaks out on girls' education and empowerment
NEW YORK, USA, 17 May 2010 – Speaking at an international conference on education and gender equality, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake today called for accelerated efforts on behalf of “forgotten children” in the run-up to the 2015 deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
Breaking the silence on gender-based violence in schools
NEW YORK, USA, 17 May 2010 – For millions of children worldwide, physical and emotional abuse and gender-based violence are a harsh daily reality.
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.
UNGEI returns to Dakar for milestone meeting on girls’ education
DAKAR, 16 May 2010 – As education, particularly for girls, is threatened to be pushed onto the back burner, a major conference will open here on Monday, to put girls’ education front and center.
Conference to tackle gender gap and give impetus to girls’ education
The education of women and girls is a top priority for UNESCO. The Organization will thus be a key partner at the forthcoming “E4 Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality” conference.
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).
Leaders for Education Series - Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo, the dynamic West African singer and songwriter, was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2002. Ms. Kidjo speaks to us about the impact education has had on her life and the importance of educating girls for a better and brighter future.
UNICEF-EC programme gives a second chance to a would-be child bride in India
Bablu, 14, lives with her family in a small village in rural Rajasthan. She was 13 when her community decided she should be married.
It takes a community to educate a girl, or a boy, in Benin
BEMBÉRÉKÉ, Benin, 20 April 2010 – Going to school can be a long, lonely walk for a young girl in Benin. That’s if her parents even let her pursue an education.
Girls' Education Movement promotes schooling for vulnerable children in Uganda
KYENJOJO DISTRICT, Uganda, 19 April 2010 – Peace Margaret Atwooki, 14, is back in school after a four-year absence.
Leaders for Education Series - Hilde F. Johnson
Hilde F. Johnson is a Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a twice Minister of International Development. Here she tells us why education is the right of every child.
Hilde F. Johnson Biography
Hilde F. Johnson is a Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Ms.Johnson was the Minister of International Development of Norway between 2001 and 2005, and Minister of Human
Leaders for Education Series - John T. Chambers
John Chambers is Chairman and CEO of Cisco. He has helped grow the company from $70 million when he joined Cisco in January 1991, to $1.2 billion when he assumed the role of CEO, to its current run rate of $36 billion. In November 2006, Chambers was named Chairman of the Board, in addition to his CEO role.
Ana Ivanovic Biography
Ana Ivanovic was born on November 6, 1987 in her hometown of Belgrade, Serbia. Ivanovic is a Serbian female athlete, former World No.1-ranked tennis player, much sought-after photo model and global sports star. She won the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open.
Leaders for Education Series - Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanovic is a Serbian female athlete, former World No.1-ranked tennis player, much sought-after photo model and global sports star. She speaks to us about the role of education in her life and her involvement with the ‘School without Violence’ programme.
The Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality (E4) Conference
The Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality (E4) conference, organized by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative in collaboration with Beyond Access team, coordinated from the Institute of Education, University of London, is scheduled to take place between 17th and 20th May 2010, in Dakar, Senegal.
G(irls)20 Summit
The Belinda Stronach Foundation along with its partners are pleased to announce the launch of www.girlsandwomen.com and the G(irls)20 Summit!
Leaders for Education Series - Navanethem Pillay
Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, wants to be the "the champion of human rights in every part of the world". A South African national, she was the first woman to start a law practice in her home province despite the barriers posed by the apartheid regime. Ms. Pillay talks to us about her experience, the right to education and gender equality.
Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The appointment of Navanethem Pillay as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was approved by the General Assembly on 28 July 2008. She took up the post on 1 September 2008.
Leaders for Education Series - Ela Bhatt
Ela Bhatt, the founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), is widely recognized as one of the world's most remarkable pioneers and entrepreneurial forces in grassroots development. Known as the "gentle revolutionary," and a follower of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, she has dedicated her life to improving the lives of India's poorest and most oppressed citizens.
Ela Bhatt, the founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
Ela Bhatt, the founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), is widely recognized as one of the world's most remarkable pioneers and entrepreneurial forces in grassroots development.
UNICEF and partners transforming lives of children through improved schools in Niger
GARIN GUIZO, Niger , 10 March 2010 – As dawn breaks in this rural village in southern Niger, the daily routine begins the same way it has for generations. Eleven-year-old Zhara lights the fire, warms a pot of water and sweeps the family yard.
Leaders for Education Series - Zainab Salbi
Zainab Salbi is co-founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a grassroots international humanitarian and development organization helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives, families and communities. Here she talks to us about her life, work and girls' education and gender equality.
Founder and CEO, Women for Women International
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group that is dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. A survivor of war herself, Ms Salbi started Women for Women International in response to the rape and concentration camps in Bosnia in 1993. Since then, the organization has served more than 250,000 women in 8 conflict and post-conflict areas from Congo and Rwanda to Afghanistan and her native country Iraq.
International Women's Day: Special podcast on education and gender equality
Moderator Amy Costello discusses the advances made and challenges ahead for girls’ education with Tamara Kreinin from the United Nations Foundation, and the Kenya’s Minister of Education, Honourable Ambassador Professor Samson Kagengo Ongeri.
Film screening - Rising Voices: Raising Yusriya
The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and UNICEF will host a screening of Rising Voices: Raising Yusriyaon the occasion of the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) taking place 1-12 March 2010 at the United Nations in New York.
IIEP Newsletter January - April 2010: Revisiting global objectives for gender in education
The Dakar Framework for Action (2000) set out ambitious goals: to eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and to achieve gender equality in education by 2015.
More children in school in Afghanistan
During the Taliban’s reign, fewer than one million children went to school in Afghanistan. Now about six million children are registered in schools and about one third of them are girls. Sida’s efforts in educating boys and girls in Afghanistan have delivered results.
Forced marriage no substitute for education
TABOTA, Benin, 4 January 2010 –“Before, girls did not go far in their studies. Today, girls have a chance and they are coming back to school”, said Céline Nambi, speaking on behalf of the Mothers Association of Tabota, a remote village in northern Benin.
Transforming Education for a New Era
The World Premiere of “We are the People We’ve Been Waiting For” took place in Leicester Square in London on 17 November 2009. A Q&A chaired by the Oscar-winning producer Lord Putnam immediately followed the screening and included the participation of Dr. Cream Wright, who recently retired from the position of Global Chief of Education in UNICEF and now heads a new venture called REDI4Change.
