Girls’ Education: Working with Partners to Meet the Challenge

In an effort to improve the quality of girls education interventions in projects, the World Bank participated in a workshop on Girls’ Education organized by the African Development Bank (ADB). The workshop, which took place in Hammamet, Tunisia on September 15 and 16, 2005, brought together staff of the ADB involved in the preparation and supervision of projects. The workshop was organized by the Policy and Review Department (POPR) in partnership with the Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development Unit (PSDU) of the ADB with the participation of resource persons from the Forum of African Women Educationists (FAWE), the Islamic Organization for Education and Science (ISESCO), UNESCO, and the World Bank, most of whom are members of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI).

The objectives of the workshop were to sensitize ADB staff on the Gender and Education Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to improve their understanding of how to integrate gender equality concerns in ADB projects, particularly during project preparation and project supervision. The workshop was a critical step in the ADB’s efforts to assists its regional member countries in meeting the MDGs, in particular, Goal 3: “Eliminating Gender Disparities in Primary and Secondary Education by 2005 and Achieving Gender Equality in Education by 2015”.

Besides sensitizing participants to the Gender and Education MDG , the workshop focused on discussing obstacles to girls’ education and on presenting interventions which  are known to have worked in improving the education of girls in Africa and elsewhere. By the end of the workshop, participants had an in-depth understanding of gender issues, and gender-related concepts and importantly, their implications for policy and project related activities.  They looked at the economic, social and cultural constraints girls face with regard to schooling and examined the level of progress made so far by African countries in attaining the Gender Parity Goal.

The workshop was opened by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Policy, Mr. Chanel Boucher, who emphasized the operational significance of the event when he said: “You will be able to improve the quality of analysis in appraisal reports; to propose more relevant and pertinent interventions for girls, and really assist our regional member countries meet the MDGs”.  He went on to point out that although two of the eight MDGs referred directly to educational outcomes, educating girls and women is a critical determinant in achieving all the eight goals.

Related link
World Bank Girls' Education website