From 9 -10 May 2019 in Midrand, South Africa, the African Union/International Center for Girls and Women Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) convened a two-day technical workshop aiming at presenting its work and reaching consensus on a common roadmap on ensuring gender equality and equity through education in line with CESA 16-25 and AU Agenda 2063, on the margins of the 2nd Ordinary session of the 5th PAP. The meeting was attended by AU Commission (AUC) Departments, Liaison Offices and AU Organs.

The objectives of the meeting are to:
• Enhance understanding of the mandate of AU/CIEFFA and its activities within the implementation of the 2018 – 2020 Strategic plan ;
• Identify areas of pertaining to with regards to Girls and women‘s education with other Departments and organs in line with CESA 16-25 and AU Agenda 2063;
• Agree on points of entry for mainstreaming girls and women‘s education in other Departments and organs’ implementation, monitoring and reporting frameworks.

AU/CIEFFA presented its Strategic Plan (2018-2020), comprising of four strategic Axis: (i) Legal and Institutional Framework, (ii) Gender-sensitive Teaching and Learning Environments; (iii) STEM Focused TVET and (iv) Advocacy & Communication.
Participants also shared their work and recommended how girls and women’s education could be help in pushing the agenda of girls and women’s education in the continent through the following actions:
• Liaison offices and some Departments to help in data collection in certain regions,
• AU/CIEFFA to be invited to certain meetings such as STC on Social development, Labour and Migration, Partnership meetings,
• AU/CIEFFA to plug in certain existing platforms,
• AU/CIEFFA to benefit from the African Women’s Fund under the pillar 1 of the AU Gender Strategy.
The technical meeting enabled to clarify the mandate of AU/CIEFFA with departments/Organs/Liaison offices and provided a platform for further collaboration on Girls and women’ education. It also emphasized the importance of information sharing, collaboration for an effective implementation of the continental framework and provided an opportunity for participants to agree on mainstreaming Girls’ and Women’s Education in their own work plans.