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Inclusive quality education and lifelong learning – key for gender equality and empowerment of women
On 13 March, UNESCO, together with the Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning, organized an inclusive multi-stakeholder panel discussion entitled “Inclusive quality education and lifelong learning – key for gender equality and empowerment of women” at the margins of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Despite unprecedented progress in expanding school enrolment over the last decades and towards, the achievement of gender parity in formal schooling, inequalities among and within countries remain. Two-thirds of illiterate adults continue to be women, reflecting the historical and systematic exclusion of girls from education. Some 132 million girls and young women – about 1 in 5 – were still out of school in 2016. Girls in countries affected by conflict are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys. In many contexts, the cost of schooling is too high or the journey to school might be dangerous.
The event explored how to deliver on the global commitment on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through targeted measures to ensure access to inclusive quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for women and girls.
UNESCO Director for Gender Equality, Ms Saniye Gülser Corat, as moderator of the panel discussion, highlighted the importance of developing the skills that will enable girls and women to thrive in today’s world. For her, “girls and women are the face of change. Across the world, they are bringing their skills and talents to conduct groundbreaking research, start successful businesses, and fight for justice in their communities.”
The list of speakers also included:
- H.E. Ms Jana Maláčová, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic
- H.E. Mr Dag Inge Ulstein, Minister of International Development, Norway
- Atty. Ms Carmelita Yadao-Sison, Executive Director, the Commission on Higher Education, Office of the President, Philippines
- H.E. Hon. Dr. Joyce Loboso, Governor of Bomet County, Kenya
- Ms Andrea Droppelmann, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
- Ms Linda Liukas, technologist, author, educator
Ms Corat and the other speakers during the conference entitled Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited
“Inclusive quality education and lifelong learning”. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world
participated at the session.
