Building a Roadmap for Change: FEMNET4GTE Africa Action Workshop Adresses Gender Disparities in African Education
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – The Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) has convened a two-day Africa Regional Action Workshop in Kenya’s Capital Nairobi which has brought together over 50 leaders, policymakers, activists and education experts.
The Workshop aims to bring in deliberations and strengthen collective and concrete actions to influence and disseminate continental strategies sub-regional strategies (CESA (2026-2035), CTVET) together with sub-regional strategies and actions for gender equality in and through education.
Ms. Lydia Madyirapanzi, FAWE Zimbabwe Executive Director in her opening remarks highlighted that education is a tool for reparative justice and its content, pedagogy and environment truly challenge Norms and drive transformation.
“It requires addressing how gender intersects with disability, displacement, poverty and crisis contexts so that no learner is left behind, critically without adequate financing, gender transformative education remains a promise unfulfilled, we must not only advocate for sustainable investments but also interrogate how we use our resources in Africa”, said Ms Madyirapanzi.
FEMNET4GTE is a intergenerational movement more than 210 organizations, governments, researchers and advocates working to dismantled structural barriers in education and ensure that schools across the world becomes engines of gender equality and justice.
“Can we, as advocates of GTE, work together to eliminate generational inequity?” Posed Eduard Beukman, OXFAM.
Africa Regional Action Workshop 2025 comes at a pivotal moment as the African Union’s 2025 theme “Building a united front to advance the cause of justice and payment of reparations to Africa” underscores education as a critical tool for reparation, dignity restoration and social transformation.
Additionally, the Workshop thematic focus include keynote panel, Best practices sessions, Feminist policy roundtable and youth-led moments ,Action planning, Wellness and Solidarity spaces, it will also build on the outcomes of Beijing +30 review and key continental platforms including CESA strategy meetings and the Gender is my Agenda Campaign (GIMAC).
Community Coordinator for FEMNET4GTE, Ms. Alinate Malonje express gratitude to FAWE, OXFAM, Plan International, Usawa Agenda, GCE, ANCEFA and all members of the organizing Committee for their leadership and commitment to gender transformative education and to the participants.
“We cannot the stark realities 122 million girls are out of school ,one in four faces early or forced marriage, 138 million children are in child labour and every four minutes a child is lost to violence, at the same time International funding for gender equality, girls, education and women rights is declining while hate and division are on the rise”, stated Ms. Malonje.
Furthermore, the Workshop seeks to support the development of national action plans drawing from FEMNET4GTE insights and best practices to ensure sustainable and impactual change.
It will amplify Feminist and youth voices in policy making by creating space for intergenerational dialogue, policy roundtable and youth-led sessions and foster a sustained community of practice by building Solidarity and collaboration among governments, civil society, academia and grassroots.
FAWE encouraged delagates to commit to follow-up at the national level ensuring the Workshop discussion translate into real change for learners across Africa and use collective voice to influence continental and global spaces from AU platforms to the UN General Assembly ensuring GTE is part of the post 2030 Agenda.
“Solidarity is our strength. Education is justice. Let’s break gender norms and raise our voices so every issue is heard”.
