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Press Release – AU CIEFFA Workshop Empowers Education Leaders to Advance Gender Equity in Africa

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Information and Communication Directorate

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INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE

Press Release No: 080/2025 Date: 18^th June 2025

Venue: Antananarivo, Madagascar

AU CIEFFA Workshop Empowers Education Leaders to Advance Gender Equity in Africa

A four-day intensive training on Gender Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP) is currently underway in Antananarivo from 17^th to 20^th June 2025. The workshop, organised by the African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa (AU CIEFFA), aims to strengthen the capacity of AU CIEFFA ministry focal points in education sector planning. The workshop is funded by the World Bank under the East Africa Girls’ Empowerment and Resilience (EAGER) programme and gathers gender and education experts from 15 AU Member States.

This training is designed to enhance gender awareness in education, deepen participants’ understanding of key gender concepts and frameworks, and explore their relevance to education policy. Additionally, it seeks to equip participants with practical skills to analyse gender disparities using evidence-based tools. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be better equipped to interpret gender-disaggregated data, identify educational gaps, and contribute to the design of policies that promote equitable and inclusive education systems aligned with national and regional priorities.

In her opening remarks on behalf of the Ministers in charge of Population and National Education, Ms. Mbole RATSIHAROVALA, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Population and Solidarities, emphasized that: “This capacity-building project, as part of the GRESP strategy, is a vital lever to redress persistent inequalities affecting girls and women across our continent. It also offers an opportunity to build resilient education systems that respond to the real needs of female learners and promote social justice, sustainable development, and collective prosperity.”

Ms. Simone Yankey, Acting Coordinator of AU CIEFFA, officially opened the workshop by highlighting its alignment with ongoing efforts. “This workshop directly addresses capacity gaps identified in our continental report on the Status of Girls’ Education in Africa (2024)”, she affirmed. Ms. Yankey explained how “it marks a concrete step toward advancing the AUC–WB EAGER Financing Agreement objectives, specifically under Pillar 3 for an ‘Enabling Environment’ and Subcomponent 2 on ensuring ‘Social Norms and GBV Prevention’.

Nirina Rakotomalala from the World Bank Madagascar office reiterated the World Bank’s commitment to advancing development in Africa.

The training is facilitated by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP).

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