Kampala, Uganda, 20th June 2019 – Community leaders participating at the Second Dialogue with Traditional and Religious Leaders reiterated their commitment to uphold girls’ and young women’s universal and inalienable human right to access and learn at all levels of Educational systems. The two-day meeting took place in Kampala, Uganda from 19 - 20 June 2019.

Under the theme: “Girls’ and Young Women’s Access and Retention in Educational Systems in Africa”, the meeting provided the ideal platform to identify barriers and obstacles hampering girls’ Education; and to address these challenges using religion, tradition and culture based-approaches in order to ensure access, retention and quality education to girls’ and women. The Dialogue also aimed at enhancing capacities of traditional and religious leaders with better understanding on existing gender stereotypes and myths in the educational environment; as well as ensure that within their communities, they are in support of national policies and legislation adopted and/or ratified by their respective Governments for the girl child to access and complete her schooling, get a decent work as return on investment.

Right Hon Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of the Parliament from the Republic of Uganda in her opening remarks, prompted participants to identify effective solutions to this issue of access to educational systems. She also wanted to know if the leaders knew the number of girls in the schools of their chiefdom, the distance children have to walk to school, sanitation and water facilities availed to them.

Hon Janet Mukwaya, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda in her speech called on participants to strengthen their sustained efforts for effective socio-economic empowerment. She underlined that what leaders can do is beyond what governments can possibly do.

Dr. Rita Bissoonauth, Coordinator of the Africa Union Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education (AU/CIEFFA), highlighted that Traditional and Religious Leaders have a pivotal role to play towards transforming cultural environments and facilitating the establishment of gender sensitive Education systems through their words of wisdom.

“In Africa, Education still has a long way to go, despite the progress recorded in the last three decades. We still are looking forward to seeing girls coming and staying in Educational systems, yet, so many girls are left behind and they may never reach their full personal and professional potential, if we do not address the problem on the ground, at the levels of family and community”, she declared.

Participants outlined that many reasons hinder girls and young women from accessing and staying in educational systems on the continent, such as early marriage, female genital mutilation, extreme poverty, gender based discrimination, widespread violence. Very often, abuse against girls in schools occurs without any penalties and sanctions. The negative perceptions of the family seeing the girl child as a burden, soon to be married off and the one to raise children is still rampant. In the context of Africa’s Agenda 2063, the continent cannot afford to leave more than half of its population behind. Aspiration 6 especially calls for full gender equality in all spheres of life and empowered of youth through the creation of opportunities for Africa’s youth for self-realisation, access to health, education and jobs.

The 2nd Dialogue came up with a Communique of the traditional and religious leaders outlining some of the following commitments and recommendations:

i. Re-define roles and responsibilities of Faith-Based Organizations at community level in promoting acceleration of girls’ access to and their retention throughout the educational systems

ii. Establish a platform for traditional and religious leaders, champions of girls' and women’s education in Africa with the facilitation of the AU/CIEFFA and request the Centre to continue this process of dialogue with other religious and traditional leaders.

iii. Share best practices at community level in implementing innovative approaches and cultural transformation on girls and women's education and empowerment, in particular increase the completion rates of girls at levels of the educational system;

To operationalize these recommendations, traditional and religious leaders suggested the involvement and participation of the traditional and religious leaders in the existing African Union platform of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTLA) as well as setting up of advocacy campaigns for the promotion of girls’ education across the continent.

The Dialogue brought together traditional and religious leaders from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

Note to editors:

The African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa is a specialised institution of the African Union under the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology. The Centre aims to promote girls and women’s education with a view towards their full participation in the eradication of poverty and the edification of a peaceful world for sustainable human development. Its mandate is in line with the vision of Agenda 2063, Africa’s development blueprint and master plan, which outlines that the African woman will be fully empowered in all spheres, with equal social, political, and economic rights and opportunities and enabled to fight against all forms of violence and discrimination.

For any inquiry, please contact:

Mr. Boubacar Yougbare| African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa| Email: boubakary@africa-union.org

Media Contact: Mr. Jerry Lemogo | African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa | Email: Lemogoj@africa-union.org

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