Africa Educates Her Phase II launched
The second phase of the Africa Educates Her (AEH) campaign has been launched under the auspices of the African Union’s International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU-CIEFFA), reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to championing gender equity in education.
This phase responds to challenges that hinder girls' access to education, including conflict, poverty, harmful gender norms and climate-related disasters, while building on the progress made during the first phase in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The launch, which took place at the University of Ghana, Great Hall, last Tuesday, brought together key stakeholders from the Girls’ Education Unit (GEU) of the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, Centre for Gender Studies & Advocacy (CEGENSA)-University of Ghana, T-TEL Ghana, CAMFED-Ghana, UNICEF-Ghana, various organisations, as well as students.
The Deputy Director-General of Management Services at the GES, Prof. Smile Gavua Dzisi, emphasised that Phase II of the AEH campaign was a bolder and more strategic intervention which extended beyond COVID-19 recovery to address structural inequalities.
She revealed that the country still had over 1.3 million out-of-school children, half of whom were girls.
She, therefore, called on stakeholders to champion policy reforms, grassroots advocacy, and data-driven interventions to support vulnerable girls, especially in rural and conflict-affected communities.
Chairing the launch was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, who underscored the country’s readiness to consolidate the gains made under the first phase of the AEH campaign, and resolve to remove systemic barriers to girls' education.
She emphasised that “the AEH campaign was a powerful reminder that education was not a privilege but a right for every girl.”
Call on stakeholders
Giving the keynote address, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Prof. Nana Ama Brown Klutse, shared her journey from a rural community to becoming a leading scientist and advocate for girls in STEM, indicating that with opportunity and support, girls from any background could achieve greatness.
She then called on stakeholders to be intentional in mentoring, supporting and empowering young girls.
“Every girl deserves a mentor and a chance. Let’s commit to holding the hands of our girls and guiding them to reach their full potential.
It could be by mentoring, offering financial support or simply being present,” she said.
AEH Phase II
The AEH Phase II campaign is expected to leverage policy, advocacy, research and data communication, partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives to ensure that no girl is left behind.
These are aligned with the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy and Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
The campaign highlighted initiatives such as the “Adopt-A-School” campaign, mentorship programmes, digital education for girls, and enhanced support for STEM education, all aimed at creating an enabling environment for girls to thrive.
It also rolled out a Back-to-School campaign that supported the safe return of students during the pandemic, which has now evolved into broader strategies aimed at inclusion and empowerment.
