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Gender Equity through Education Program (Sudan GEE) - n/a Empowerment & Civic Engagement Kenya, Sudan 2007 - 2012 USAID |
Gender Equity through Education
RATIONALEEducation participation rates of girls and women in Southern Sudan are shockingly low as a result of severe conflict, poverty, lack of access to schools, and other social barriers. Although reliable data is scarce, women are said to comprise 65 percent of the post-war population. Many are now heads-of-household without income, skills, education, or observed rights. Ninety-one percent of Southern Sudanese women in are illiterate. The secondary school system in the region remains nascent, with only 95 schools for an estimated population of nine million. Most schools are inaccessible to girls and to women teachers. With less than 10 percent of girls eligible to transition from primary school, as few as one percent of girls are studying at secondary levels. Currently, only 15 percent of all teachers are women.
In 2006, the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (MoEST) of Southern Sudan established projects that include support to girls for primary and secondary education, the establishment of accelerated projects for girls, and fast-track training for women teachers. The Gender Equity through Education project will build on these projects to address education and training gaps through immediate assistance to girls, women, and school communities while achieving long-term impacts by helping the MoEST to improve its gender policies and further operationalize plans.
OBJECTIVES
Winrock International's Gender Equity through Education project will provide incentives that will encourage girls to complete secondary school and will mentor women to enter the teaching profession. Project objectives include reducing financial and infrastructure barriers to secondary education for girls, improving incentives for women to enter the teaching profession, and reducing cultural barriers to gender equity in education.
ACTIVITIES
Scholarships for Girls & Women:
• 5,250 secondary scholarships for young women throughout Southern Sudan
• 1,615 scholarships and transportation or boarding support for women in teacher training institutes
• In-kind or financial resources for schools and teacher training institutes attended by scholars to improve their facilities and learning materials
• Pilot mother-daughter loan-scholarship scheme
Advocacy, Community Mobilization & Mentoring:
• Community approaches for gender equity in education, including a boys mentoring program, "Take Your Family to School" days, and "What's Next" sessions for graduating students
• Scholar mentoring program with weekly activities for girls to learn about life skills, leadership, health, and well-being
• Comfort kits for scholars and mentors with health and women's hygiene supplies to ensure school attendance throughout the month
Supporting Strategies:
• Leadership for Change training for MoEST officials
• Gender forums at the district level
• Dissemination of HIV/AIDS prevention materials in all project-supported classrooms
• Longitudinal study on scholarship impacts
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Accomplishments will be reported as the project progresses.