The International Teachers Task Force on Education 2030 will host a Lab Debate at this year’s European Development Days. Titled “Female Teachers and Gender Equality in Education”, our debate will look into how we can support women to enter and remain in the teaching profession, as well as gender-responsive teaching methodologies for trainee teachers. This is in line with this year’s EDD theme “Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development: protect, empower, invest.”
Although Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 Framework for Action provide clear guidelines to achieving universal and gender-sensitive education, girls still face more barriers in accessing education, and gender stereotypes are often reinforced in their educational experiences. Girls are still 1.5 times more likely than boys to be excluded from primary school, and half of out-of-school primary-aged girls are unlikely to ever enter school. Wealth disparities and the rural-urban divide further exacerbate barriers and vulnerabilities faced by girls, which increase as they get older.
Research suggests that female teachers have an important role in addressing access and quality issues in girls’ educational experiences – especially in places where women are discriminated against and under-represented in political, employment, and leadership positions.
This debate will explore policy, funding and civil society best practices in empowering women to enter and remain in the teaching profession and their role in providing a gender-responsive education to all children.
Our speakers include H.E. Paul Mavima, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe; H.E. Marie Odile Attanasso, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Benin; Mrs Teopista Birungi Mayanja, Regional Coordinator for the Africa Network Campaign for Education for All (ANCEFA); and Mrs. Conceição da Glòria Sozinho, Director of ADPP Teacher Training College in Chimoio, Mozambique. They will share their experiences and lessons learned towards achieving gender parity in the teaching profession and gender-responsive teacher training.
The Debate will be held at in Room D1 on Wednesday 6 June at 09:00 am. For more information please go to https://eudevdays.eu/.