FEMNET4GTE Convenes Africa Regional Action Workshop to Advance Gender Equality in Education
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By James Nyaigoti
The Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) has convened its Africa Regional Action Workshop in Nairobi, bringing together more than 50 leaders, policymakers, activists, and education experts for a two-day dialogue on advancing gender equality through education across the continent.
FEMNET4GTE is an intergenerational coalition of over 210 organizations, governments, researchers, and advocates working globally to dismantle structural barriers in education and transform schools into drivers of equality and justice. Since its inception in 2022, the network has hosted annual convenings to strengthen solidarity, share learning, and co-create strategies for transformative change.
Speaking during the opening, Ms. Lydia Madyirapanzi, Executive Director of FAWE Zimbabwe, emphasized the role of education in advancing justice.
“Education is a tool for reparative justice, and we must ensure that its content, pedagogy, and environment truly challenge gender norms and drive transformation. This requires valuing intergenerational leadership, addressing intersections with disability, poverty, and crisis contexts, and ensuring adequate and sustainable financing,” she said.
The workshop comes at a critical moment as the African Union’s 2025 Theme of the Year “Building a united front to advance the cause of justice and payment of reparations to Africans” underscores education as a key driver of reparation, dignity restoration, and social transformation. The meeting also builds on the outcomes of the Beijing+30 review, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) consultations, and the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC).
Highlighting the urgency of the agenda, Ms. Alinafe Malonje, FEMNET4GTE Community Coordinator, warned against the persistent inequalities affecting children across Africa:
“Today, 122 million girls remain out of school, one in five faces early or forced marriage, and 138 million children are trapped in child labour. At the same time, global funding for gender equality is shrinking while divisive idteologies rise. Division is taught—but together, through education, we can unteach it and build a future rooted in equality and justice.”
The workshop’s objectives include aligning national and continental education strategies, such as CESA 2026–2035 and CTVET, with gender-transformative approaches; supporting the development of national action plans informed by FEMNET4GTE insights; and amplifying feminist and youth voices through intergenerational dialogue and youth-led sessions.
By fostering collaboration among governments, civil society, academia, and grassroots movements, FEMNET4GTE aims to build a sustained community of practice that strengthens advocacy and policymaking at all levels.
The outcomes of the Africa Regional Action Workshop will feed into global platforms, including FEMNET4GTE’s advocacy at the UN General Assembly later this year and its upcoming network convening. The ultimate goal is to secure gender equality in and through education as a central pillar of the post-2030 global development agenda.
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