EQUATE collaborates with AGSP on Conference to "Bring Boys on Board"
EQUATE: Achieving Equality in Education
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By paying attention to gender, educators, policy makers, and program implementers can improve equality in education.
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June 13, 2008: The EQUATE Project presented several sessions at the Ambassadors
Girls' Scholarship Program's
(AGSP) "Turning Point: Sharing Successes and Bringing Boys on Board" conference in South Africa. The Conference was attended
by over 60 implementing partners across 13 countries.
Understanding the Needs of Male and Female Scholars
The sessions helped participants strategize on how they can better understand and address the needs of male and female scholars.
EQUATE Program Associate Sabeen Hassanali discussed how paying attention to gender at different levels such as access to schools,
the learning process, and encouraging long-term goals through mentoring, enables better program implementation. EQUATE's concept
of gender equality resonated with AGSP activities, as it involves more fully considering the needs of females and males and the gender dynamics between and among them.
Types and Prevalence of School-Related Gender-based Violence
Ms. Hassanali also led a session on the types and prevalence of school-related gender-based violence as it affects scholars' educational experiences.
The discussion yielded responses ranging from shock to a sad affirmation of the occurrence of school-related gender-based violence. Partners identified
common and emerging types of violence experienced by female and male scholars, including increased violence perpetrated
by females, sexual favors by teachers, violence based on homophobia, and bullying.
Throughout the conference, EQUATE staff provided gender considerations and strategies, around mentoring activities, HIV/AIDS, and child labor. The conference also provided a rare opportunity for partners to share good practices and success stories with each other. In considering gender equality for girls and boys, EQUATE and Ambassador's Girls' Scholarship Program demonstrated the value of collaborating across USAID programs.
Integration of Gender across USAID Programs
While recognizing their limits as a
scholarship program, the partners committed to working with parents, schools, and community resources to increase awareness of such violence and to better address it by strengthening their networks.
The collaboration resulted from a workshop EQUATE conducted for all Ambassador's Girls' Scholarship Program partners
in Washington, DC, in November 2007, and demonstrates how
approaches to improving gender equality can be applied to
improve existing programs.
For more information about EQUATE, please contact equate@msi-inc.com
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