1st AU Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women’s Education underway

The African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation through its technical and specialised office, the African Union International Center for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) is convening the 1^st African Union Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women’s Education (AU-PANCOGEd1).

According to a statement by AU, the Conference is scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July 02 – 05, 2024 at the African Union Headquarters.

The 4-day gathering will take place under the theme, “Prioritizing Girls and Women’s Education: A Strategy for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”

The event holds in recognition of 2024 as the African Union Year of Education which is currently running under the theme, ‘Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa’.

It is organised in collaboration with UN Agencies, AU Organs and departments, development partners, organizations promoting girls and women’s education, youth champions on girls’ education, the conference will bring together all key voices on girls and women’s education on the continent.

During the conference, the delegates will deliberate on strategic methods of positioning equitable access to quality education and skills development for girls and women during the AU Theme of the year 2024 and beyond.

Delegates will, amongst other things, collectively evaluate the status of girls and women’s education in Africa, galvanize support for financing girls’ education, and strengthen advocacy toward high-level adoption of gender transformative policies and frameworks.

Following the opening ceremony, discussions during the four days will interrogate topical issues around gender-responsive policies and planning, education financing, tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful socio-cultural practices to ease access and completion of girls’ education, and youth engagement for girls and women’s education.

The objectives of the conference include; Popularizing and widely disseminating the continental #AfricaEducatesHer campaign, evaluating and crystalising the Status of Girls and Women’s Education in Africa, exploring Sustainable financing opportunities for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa as well as identifying challenges, recommendations, and key solutions for the advancement of girls and women’s education and skills development in Africa.

Similarly the conference aims at strengthening networks and partnerships of stakeholders working on the intersections of gender equality and education in Africa and advocating for the adoption of frameworks, recommendations, and policies particularly, those formulated by the AU Summit of Heads of States and governments, through the AU CIEFFA 8th High Level Dialogue on gender equality.

African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) is a specialized institution of the African Union since 2004, dealing with women and girls’ education following Decision Assembly/AU/DEC.44 (III).

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