Education experts, policymakers, civil society leaders, the Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) have called for gender transformative education.
Speaking during the Africa Regional Action Workshop on Gender Transformative Education in Nairobi, leaders drawn from 20 African countries sort strategies for dismantling barriers in education and positioning schools as engines of gender equality and justice.
FEMNET4GTE, which started annual convening in 2022, has sought to strengthen solidarity and share best practices for advancing gender equality through education.
Speaking at the event, Lydia Madyirapanzi, the Executive Director of FAWE Zimbabwe, emphasized the urgent need to finance education policies that remained underfunded despite progressive commitments.
Madyirapanzi insisted that education is a tool for reparative justice that can only be achieved if pedagogy, content and environments challenge gender norms and respond to learners’ realities.
ALSO READ:
SNE teachers decry discrimination in 2025 promotion exercise
“Unless we finance policies and strategies, gender transformative education will remain a promise unfulfilled. Africa must invest in education for Africa,” she urged.
She further explained that cultural practices, gender norms, and hidden costs had continued to deny many girls access to school, adding that long distances to school, unsafe environments, early marriages, and inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities were among the key barriers.
In her address, Alinafe Malonje, Community Coordinator at FEMNET4GTE, called for renewed commitment to address persistent inequalities.
“We cannot ignore the stark realities, where 122 million girls remained out of school, 138 million children were trapped in child labour and one in five faced early or forced marriage. Every four minutes a child dies from violence, and funding for girls’ education and women’s rights is shrinking, but division is taught, and through education, it can be untaught. We must build a world rooted in equality and justice,” she noted.
Similarly, the civil society representatives observed that while African countries had strong legal frameworks protecting the right to education, implementation remained weak.
In her remarks, Catherine Salina Asego, Senior Advocacy and Partnerships Officer at FAWE Regional Secretariat underlined the importance of coordinated regional advocacy.
ALSO READ:
Over 1,000 Kenyan youth graduate with cybersecurity skills amid rising attacks
“We brought together over 20 countries to use our collective voice in influencing policy at national and continental levels. Africa has solutions to its own challenges, but we must document what works, scale up good practices, and ensure our policies are backed with resources. Education is the equalizer that will drive Africa’s aspirations under Agenda 2063,” she stated.
Further, Asego pointed out that although access to education had expanded, quality remained compromised by underfunded systems, limited gender-responsive teaching, and weak enforcement of re-entry policies for girls who dropped out due to pregnancy or early marriage.
Delegates further highlighted that the success of education reforms depended on governments and civil societies working together to bridge gaps between policy and practice.
“Policies alone do not change communities. Financing, political will, and cultural change must go hand in hand,” one participant noted during plenary discussions.
Nevertheless, organizers of the Nairobi convening, including FAWE, Oxfam, Plan International, Usawa Agenda, Global Campaign for Education (GCE), and ANCEFA, expressed hope that the collective momentum would strengthen accountability for gender-transformative education.
At its core, participants agreed, gender transformative education was not only about closing the access gap but also about reimagining education systems to challenge harmful gender norms, empower learners, and deliver equity across generations.
By Juma Ndigo
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
