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#IDG2024: Supporting Girls’ Vision for the Future through Inclusive Education

Every year, on October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child (IDG), a day dedicated to highlighting the unique challenges girls face in accessing education, empowerment opportunities, and social inclusion. This day serves as a reminder to duty bearers and stakeholders of their crucial roles in supporting girls, enabling them to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. The theme for the 2024 IDG, “Girls’ Vision for the Future,” brings into focus the importance of empowering girls, not just for their well-being, but as a vital foundation for the peace and development of society.

Day of the Girl-child 2024
Why Commemorating International Day of The Girl-Child (IDG) Matters 

The IDG is a powerful platform to draw attention to the challenges girls continue to face globally, particularly in education. A 2022 UNICEF report revealed that 7.6 million Nigerian girls, many in the northern regions, are still deprived of education opportunities. Despite this daunting figure, girls are rising as leaders and breaking barriers in various sectors. However, equal access to education remains a persistent challenge. daunting figure, girls are rising as leaders and breaking barriers in various sectors. However, equal access to education remains a persistent challenge.

This annual commemoration aims to spark conversations that can unlock the potential of girls and accelerate progress towards sustainable development. The IDG plays a crucial role in advocating for gender equality, ensuring that girls are not left behind in efforts to improve education, health, and overall opportunities for youth worldwide.

#IDG2024: Supporting Girls’ Vision for the Future through Inclusive Education
Issues on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

Progress toward gender equality has been made, but deep-rooted challenges remain. One in every four girls aged 15-19 globally is neither in education, employment, nor training. In Nigeria, some of the barriers to girls’ education include cultural practices, poverty, insecurity, lack of political will, and the impacts of climate change.

The IDG provides a platform for robust discussion on strategies to overcome barriers to girls’ education, fostering advocacy for closing the gender gap in education and ensuring that every girl has an opportunity to learn and thrive. Addressing these issues through policy changes, government commitment, and community involvement is essential to building a more inclusive and equitable future.

Empowering Girls through Education: The PLANE Programme’s Contribution

The UK FCDO-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme is making significant strides in Nigeria, particularly in the focal states of Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa to improve education, with special attention to the girl-child and children with disabilities. With a mission to improve the basic education system, the programme focuses on enhancing teaching and learning, strengthening governance, and embedding data-driven approaches within the education sector. By addressing governance bottlenecks and improving performance in state and non-state education systems, PLANE is contributing to the creation of more inclusive educational environments.

In collaboration with government, PLANE has integrated Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategies across all programme outputs. This approach ensures that policies are designed to be inclusive, sensitive to the needs of all learners, and implemented effectively. In 2023, the programme’s efforts led to the appointment and training of 200 Gender Desk Officers across Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa states to monitor and advocate for girls’ education. These officers play a critical role in engaging stakeholders, identifying barriers, and promoting gender-sensitive approaches to education.

In Kano State as well, PLANE has supported the review and finalisation of a comprehensive Girls’ Education Policy with the aim to create a more equitable, inclusive and effective educational system that supports and empowers girls at all levels of education. The Chairman of the state-level School Based Management Committee (SBMC) Tijjani Haladu Baraya notes that, “The government has now established a girls’ education unit with a Coordinator of Girls’ Education at the State Ministry of Education, and this was a direct result of the policy discussions.”

A Call to Action

As Michelle Obama famously stated, “When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” The theme of the 2024 IDG underscores the need for stakeholders to recognise that the global vision for the future hinges on “Girls’ Vision for the Future.”

The PLANE programme is a testament to the progress that can be achieved when governments, communities, and international organisations collaborate to ensure that girls receive quality education. 

Strengthening systems to promote inclusivity and gender equity is a critical step towards building a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

Looking forward:
  1.  Strengthen Policy Implementation and Monitoring: State governments should continue to ensure that gender-sensitive policies, such as inclusive education and recruitment policies, are not only passed but effectively implemented and monitored.
  2. Increase Stakeholder Engagement: Encourage greater collaboration between government, civil society, and local communities to promote girls’ education and address cultural barriers that impede progress.
  3. Improve Access to Quality Education: Expand efforts to provide safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments for girls, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Empowering girls is key to driving sustainable development and building a future where every individual can reach their full potential. Let us commit to supporting “Girls’ Vision for the Future.”

Written by Ignatius Agu, PLANE’s National Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead

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