The 1st African Union Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education (AU-PANCOGEd1) organized by the African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) opens in Addis Ababa from 02 July 2024 to 05 July 2024. Under the theme « Priority to Girls’ and Women’s Education: A Strategy for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa », the conference aim to position equitable access to quality education and skills development for girls and women as priorities on the political agenda, particularly in humanitarian situations as part of the AU’s 2024 theme.
The 1st African Union Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women’s Education (AU-PANCOGEd1) opens its doors this July 02, 2024 and runs until July 05 2024, here at the African Union commission headquarter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU is to welcome over 300 participants from the African union ministries of education, policy makers, development partners among others to discuss the main theme: ‘Prioritizing Girls and Women’s Education: A Strategy for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa.
“We know that the ongoing crisis, geopolitical tensions, and conflict on the continent have also taken us some steps backward, so we actually want to see how we’re going to come back and accelerate even more the outcomes for girls and women’ education. And as we do, we also look at the boy because it will need to be sustainable for both girls and boys”.
Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy chairperson, AU Comission – Rwanda
During the conference organized by the African Union education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) department through the African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU/CIEFFA), exchanges will revolve around plenary sessions and side events with the objective to ensure that equitable access to quality education for girls and women, particularly in humanitarian situations, is positioned.
“There is no doubt that educating girls gives women tools and knowledge and transforms them. It enables them to break the traditional cycle of exclusion that confined them to marriage and kept them out of the decision-making process. Several studies have shown that educating girls is directly correlated with improving the health of populations, in particular reducing infant mortality, as an educated woman reacts more quickly and rationally to a health problem”.
Mohamed Belhocine, AU Commissioner for Education, Technology and Innovation – Algeria
In keeping with the spirit of 2024, the African Union Year of Education, under the theme “Educating an Africa Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Quality, Lifelong and Relevant Learning for Africa”, this conference also aims to bring together and listen to all key voices on girls’ and women’s education.