#AfricaEducatesHer Campaign Phase II

AfricaEducatesHer Logo

The #AfricaEducatesHer (#AEH) Campaign is a strategic advocacy platform to trigger a sense of urgency and a clarion call to all AU Member States and stakeholders to speed up the work needed towards protecting girls’ right to education during emergency (security and humanitarian) situations and ensuring learning recovery strategies. Drawing lessons from COVID-19, it also seeks to advance progress toward protecting girls and young women’s right to education in hard-to-reach and most remote areas of countries in Africa. 

The campaign is scheduled to run every year until 2025, marking the end of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16 -25). To date, the campaign has completed its Phase I and has started a new and consecutive Phase. Phase I of the Campaign formerly, focused on addressing the immediate effects of COVID-19 upon African education systems during the school closures.

Phase II of the #AEH Campaign was introduced because, although COVID-19 is no longer a global health crisis, it has exposed the loopholes of African countries to sustain learning and protect learning environments during emergencies and the learning losses that occur especially for girls.

STRATEGIC  THEMATIC AREAS

Policy and Advocacy: Advocate for the development and implementation of policies and programs that address harmful practices and support Out-of-school girls, girls on the move, and vulnerable girls to access continued learning.

Research and Data: Strengthening research, data and evidencing for girls and women's education in Africa.

Capacity building: Enhance skills and knowledge of local organizations, youth, traditional and religious leaders to respond effectively to emergencies and ensure that girls and women continue to have access to education.

Communication and sensitisation: Strengthen Continental Advocacy, Communication, and Engagement of Member States, and Media.

Partnership and Networking: Build partnerships and networks with like-minded organizations that work in the fields of education, gender equality, and humanitarian contexts

Scope of target countries and stakeholders

Given the continental scope of the campaign, all fifty-five (55) African Union member states are targeted for appropriation and ownership of the campaign. It is noted that the #AEH campaign was successfully launched by three (3) African Union Member states, namely, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire on October 11 and Mozambique on November 25, 2023, with more African States pledging to launch it in their respective countries. 

To prioritize and champion girls’ and women’s education, the #AEH leverages a multi-sectoral collaboration and partnership of stakeholders, that are both internal and external. The Campaign targets the following stakeholders;

  • Member States, RECs (Ministers of Education and Ministers of Gender, Ministers of Development Planning, Ministers of Finance
  • Top management of the AUC
  • AU/CIEFFA Steering Committee
  • African Union Organs
  • AU/CIEFFA focal points
  • AUC Staff
  • Development partners
  • Academia
  • The private sector/business community
  • Media professionals.
  • Civil society organizations,
  • African celebrities, and philanthropists outside of the AU
  • Faith-Based Organizations and Traditional leaders

Click here for full concept note

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education across the world and Africa has not been spared. By the 6th of April 2020, 53 African Union Member States had shut down all institutions of learning as a measure to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, affecting an estimated 250 million students across the continent.

Over 133 million of these students are girls and women, and more than 10 million of them risk not returning to school if we do not take action that guarantees their return once schools reopen. Evidence is pointing out that girls and women are suffering disproportionate effects of this pandemic as they bear the burden of care work, and are vulnerable to gender-based abuse.

Together, we can take action to ensure all girls across Africa get back to school. Let us increase our efforts to fight for girls’ right to education by advocating and lobbying to develop post COVID-19 strategic plans for reopening schools that take into account the needs of girls and young women.

From September 11, 2020 the AU/CIEFFA turns its attention to #AfricaEducatesHer, a campaign to bring awareness around issues that hinder girls and women from accessing education and a rallying call for youth, educators, civil society organisationm development partners and AU Member States to take positive action NOW that guarantees girls return to school.