Education Key to Eliminate Gender Inequality, Gaps in Many Spheres:  AUC Deputy Chairperson

Addis Ababa, July 3, 2024 (FBC) – Education is instrumental in eliminating gender inequality and closing the gaps in social, economic and political spheres, African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson Monique Nsanzabaganwa said.

The First African Union (AU) Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women’s Education is taking place at the Headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa.

Opening the conference today, Nsanzabaganwa said the conference provides opportunity to focus on promoting and protecting girls and women’s education in the continent.

According to her, the AUC has been taking numerous initiatives to spearhead the processes pertaining to the promotion and protection of girls and women’s education in the continent as it considers education key driver for development.

“We all agree that education as resource is a game changer in our daily lives. Particularly for women’s empowerment, it helps to eliminate gender inequality, closing the gaps in social, economic and political spheres,” she noted.

AU Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Commissioner, Professor Mohammed Belhocine pointed out that access to inclusive and quality learning is instrumental in addressing most of the challenges in the continent.

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”.

The four-day conference has brought together all key voices on girls and women’s education on the continent.

The participants are expected to 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, among 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, it was learned.

The conference is organized in collaboration with UN Agencies, AU organs and departments, development partners, organizations promoting girls and women’s education, youth champions on girls’ education.