| FAWE programmes are organized around four areas of interventions:
- Influencing policy in favour of girls education
- Creating awareness through advocacy on the importance of girls' education
- Demonstrating what works in addressing constraints to girls' access, retention and performance
- Influencing replication and mainstreaming of best practices
INFLUENCING POLICY Recognizing that without the appropriate education policies in place, there can be no effective gender transformation in the education systems, FAWE works very closely with Ministries of Education and education policy makers at all levels. Specifically, FAWE undertakes various programmes to influence policy including:
- Review of education policy and plans for gender responsiveness. FAWE has reviewed national education policies and plans for gender responsiveness of 32 countries
- Mainstreaming gender in national education policies and plans. Increased gender responsiveness in education policies and plans. FAWE has influenced the institutionalization of several policies specific to the promotion of girls' education. This includes pre-entry for pregnant girls, affirmative action for admission to Higher education, government bursary for needy girls, tax removal for sanitary towels
- Development of gender analysis tools for use by policy makers.
- Ministerial Consultations geared at highlighting areas for policy intervention
- Action research on emerging gender issues in education in order to inform policy through the FAWE Resident Guest Researcher Program
ADVOCACY Due to the complexity of the gender constraints to female education, FAWE deems it necessary to undertake advocacy on a continuous basis at international, regional, national and local levels. FAWE advocacy activities include:
- Sensitization of parents and communities on the importance of girls' education
- Networking and partnerships with various education stakeholders
- Advocacy at the global level through participation in international for a on education
- Production of advocacy materials. These include a Regional quarterly newsletter ‘FAWENEWS', chapter newsletters, audio visual materials, booklets on best practices, teachers' handbooks, Advocacy modules and gender analysis tools. Publications...
DEMONSTRATIVE INTERVENTIONS FAWE believes that it is important to demonstrate what works on the ground to promote girls' education through practical interventions. FAWE National Chapters undertake numerous interventions at the school and community level including:
- Transforming school environments to become gender responsive academically, socially and physically through the FAWE Centres of Excellence. FAWE has 11 Centres of Excellence. A handbook on The FAWE Centre of Excellence Model – The Gender Responsive School. A Handbook for Education Practitioners has been produced. Publications...
- In-service training of teachers on gender responsive pedagogy. A handbook on Gender Responsive Pedagogy – A Teacher's Handbook , has been produced.Publications...
- Empowerment of youth, especially girls, through the TUSEME ‘Let us speak out” model. TUSEME has been introduced in over 200 schools. A handbook on Empowering Youth through Tuseme “Let Us Speak Out” – A Teacher's Handbook has been produced.Publications...
- Scholarships for needy girls and over 20,000 girls have benefited.
- Promotion of girls' participation and performance in Science, Mathematics and Technology subject in 12 countries Burkina Faso, Mali, Cameroon, Malawi, Swaziland, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, Zanzibar and Burkina Faso.
- Management of sexual maturation in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Zimbabwe
- Addressing HIV/AIDS. Undertaking programmes to protect girls from HIV/AIDS. Twenty FAWE chapters are undertaking various activities, including clubs, in the schools related to protection of girls against HIV/AIDS.
- Establishing Girls' Clubs, Guidance and Counselling desks in schools in most national chapters to empower girls with skills to handle gender based constraints to their academic ans social development
- Addressing challenges to girls' education in post-conflict situations. Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi and Rwanda have undertaken programmes to bring girls back to school and deal with the effect of conflict.
- Research towards creating a gender responsive environment in higher education Grants have been given to 20 Universities across Africa.
REPLICATION AND MAINSTREAMING FAWE identifies, documents and disseminates the best practices emerging from its Demonstrative Interventions. FAWE influences the replication and mainstreaming of these best practices into the wider national education systems. This is done through Ministerial Consultations where the best practices are shared and discussed. FAWE National Chapters also work closely with Ministries of education in the processes of mainstreaming. FAWE Kenya and FAWE Tanzania have influenced the mainstreaming of Gender Responsive Pedagogy, Gender responsive school environment, empowerment of girls and management of sexual maturation in their national education systems. |
