Basic education and gender equality
Multi-country programmes
The African Girls’ Education Initiative
The African Girls’ Education Initiative, or AGEI, is helping girls enrol and stay in school in 34 African countries. Funded in part by the Norwegian government, AGEI includes countries embroiled in conflict or reeling from the effects of HIV/AIDS.
The initiative promotes systemic changes in a country’s educational system to remove gender bias and to improve the quality of education at all levels. It advocates for countries to develop a policy and plan of action for girls’ education, build the necessary partnerships and implement a multisectoral programme that encourages learning for girls. It can include support for early childhood development, improved water and sanitation, access to health services, attention to HIV/AIDS and income-generating activities for women.
In several countries, this multisectoral approach is resulting in new school canteens or the construction of latrines; in others, special attention is being placed on the health issues of girls. In Gambia and Burkina Faso, mothers’ clubs are sponsoring schools and helping to reduce the dropout rate of girls. In Ethiopia, teacher training is improving classroom learning. In all 34 countries, the initiative has supported the development and implementation of a plan of action to promote gender-sensitive primary education.
In total, more than 6,000 schools and literacy centers in 16 countries in west and central Africa, and 60 districts and regions in 18 eastern and southern Africa countries are benefiting from AGEI programming.
