Girls & boys education movement
One of the most disturbing barriers to girls’ education is the violence and abuse they experience at home, in schools and their communities. Gender-based violence threatens to undermine international and national campaigns to get girls in school and keep them there so they can complete their education and leave with the skills needed to succeed in life. HIV infection, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and other risky behaviours also have a negative impact on girls’ education. Boys play a big role in what happens to girls. They themselves need support to become the best they can be, protect girls from harmand adopt safe and healthy lifestyles. Boys and girls need to get involved in issues that concern them and work together as partners in their own development. What is UNICEF doing? UNICEF’ technical expertise is helping the Department of Education to coordinate the Girls Education Movement in South Africa. The movement was first introduced in Uganda in 2001, followed by a launch in the South Africa in 2003, where is it known as the Girls and Boys Education Movement. The Girls and Boys Education Movement provides African children and young people a platform to make the best of their potential. It gives them access to skills and information, helps them to mobilise their communities to support the rights of girls, and provides a space where they can discuss issues that matter to them. In South Africa, the Girls and Boys Education Movement is part of the country’s efforts to transform society and redress the wrongs of the past. The initiative hopes to create leaders of tomorrow with non-sexist attitudes and values.
What has been achieved? An overwhelming achievement for the Department of Education and UNICEF was putting girls’ education on the government’s agenda. In doing so, the three major threats to girls’ education – gender inequality, school violence and HIV and AIDS – were addressed through different approaches:
This booklet is a result of a consultative process with learners, educators and parents to develop guidelines that will help learners to start a Girls and Boys Education Movement (G/BEM) club in their schools. The guidebook gives learners practical ideas on activities that can be implemented. [PDF] (PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
In today's South Africa girls and boys stand a better chance to develop and prosper. This UNICEF brief on the Girls' Education Movement in South Africa looks at the challenges of girls' education , UNICEF's action and its impact. [PDF] (PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
We make the difference GEM is a child-centred, child-led grassroots movement. It is not a single organisation, but consists of groups of children and young people in schools and communities throughout Africa who are working in different ways to bring about positive changes in the lives of African girls. [PDF] (PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
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Girls' Education Movement - South Africa |
