UNGEI Work Plan Implementation Report
June – December 2007
Work Plan Objective 1: Reinvigorate the UNGEI partnership mechanism at all levels
I. Integrate gender equality into national policies, planning and processes
1. Support the integration of gender equality in education within relevant workshops and activities at regional and country levels, particularly with regard to PRSPs/SWAPs, and scaling up best practices.
· Global: Commonwealth Secretariat-UNGEI workshop, Financing Gender Equality in Education, linked to Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers’ meeting, Kampala, Uganda, 6/07; UNGEI panel at Women Deliver global conference featured ASPBAE, FAWE, UNICEF, a youth representative and a girls’ empowerment NGO, London, UK, 10-07
· WCAR: Consultation of Regional UNGEI Network on communication, advocacy, resource mobilization, knowledge building and capacity building reviewed regional UNGEI work plan, agreed on activities for rest of 2007, develop the main orientations for work plan 2008 and 2009, and establish working modalities for a more dynamic network and more effective implementation, Dakar 7-07; development of draft Technical Notes explaining UNICEF’s shift from Girls’ Education to Basic Education and Gender Equality, and aimed to guide country programme planning so that gender equality in education is effectively mainstreamed; TOR for assessment of 8 girls’ education acceleration countries agreed and study to be finalized in Q1 2008; Participation in consultation on partnership practices organized by Conference of Francophone Education Ministers 10-07; Training developed in collaboration with UNESCO and UNICEF to strengthen capacity of Central African MOE girls’ education/gender focal points in gender, gender equality and equity in education, network building and programming for mobilizing national partnerships to be held in Cameroon 11-07
· EAPR: Regional UNGEI Gender in Education Roundtable with over 80 participants from 13 countries jointly hosted by 13 Regional UNGEI partners, Bangkok, Thailand, 7-07; Pacific sub-regional capacity building workshop with UNESCO 7-07; Asia regional Writers Workshop with UNESCO 9-07; regional colloquium Rights of the Girl Child in South Asia with ComSec and UNICEF, 12-07; EFA Mid-Decade Assessment gender review of national reports; regional Progress Note on the gender goal on-going.
· ROSA: UNGEI session at UNICEF regional meeting on Education Policy co-led by the regional focal point and Jyotsna Jha of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Katmandu, Nepal, 9-07; Studies on Gender and Equity in SWAps in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka completed, synthesis paper and individual country studies published.
· World Bank: organization of 2-day global symposium Education: a Critical Path to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment with academic papers from all regions and presentations by many GAC members and Secretariat, Washington, 10-07
· Norway: in collaboration with UNGEI, arranged an international seminar to present findings from a UNICEF study on equity in education in Madagascar, Oslo, Norway, 08-07. Women and gender equality is a major development policy intervention area for the present Norwegian Government, receiving its own budget line in the national budget for the first time in years. Norway is also involved in education sector programs in Bangladesh, Nepal and Zambia.
II. Monitor and evaluate impact of UNGEI
1. Develop guidelines for monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including M&E of communication inputs
· Global: See point 2, below
2. Develop monitoring and evaluation framework to assess impact of UNGEI in fulfilling its objectives
· Global: CIDA-led sub-group, including ASPBAE, CAMFED, DFID, and UNICEF WCAR RFP developed TOR for framework development, to be implemented by Secretariat 11-12/07
3. Develop indicators to measure GAC's effectiveness
· Global: See point 2, above
III. Revise, finalize and implement work plan
1. Revise work plan to incorporate feedback from GAC members, including a budget
· Global: Work plan revised in 3-07
2. Ensure emerging issues relevant to UNGEI are addressed
· Global: Supported UNICEF County Office in Belize organizing sub-regional conference The Unspoken Gender Dimension: Boys and Education, 11-07
· EAPR: Supported Viet Nam Report on The Transition from Primary to Lower Secondary Education of Girls from Four Ethnic Groups; Discussions on boys’ disadvantage in education in Mongolia
· World Vision International: New report, Education's Missing Millions: including disabled children in education through EFA FTI processes and national sector plans, focuses on how FTI is tackling the challenge of disability, makes recommendations to strengthen current FTI processes, tools and partnership mechanisms, and identifies new opportunities through which the FTI can better address the issue of disability and education. World Vision and Save the Children partnered in successful lobbying effort to persuade the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Committee on the Rights of the Child, to dedicate their annual Day of General Discussion (DGD) in 2008 to the issue of Education of children in emergencies; DGDs are often the start of much larger processes, e.g. UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children.
IV. Strengthen civil society and private sector participation in UNGEI at all levels
1. Ensure the active participation of regional networks/coalitions in GAC meetings
· Global: ASPBAE and FAWE participate as GAC members; membership pending at 11-07 meeting for Gambia EFA Coalition/ANCEFA.
· EAPR: Regional Gender in Education Roundtable was organized in conjunction with the GENIA’s (Gender in Education Network in Asia) annual meeting 7-07; Bi-monthly Regional UNGEI partners’ meetings on-going
2. Invite a CSO from Asia to the membership of GAC
· Global: ASPBAE joined GAC 6-07
3. Explore private sector participation at global and national levels
· ESAR: Baseline studies conducted in Puberty Education and Feminine Hygiene Initiative with Procter & Gamble
V. Maintain regular contact with regional focal points (RFPs) and identify areas for additional support and capacity-building
1. Provide technical and financial support to Regional Focal Points (RFPs) in implementing the UNGEI objectives as requested (e.g. travel to the regions/countries for meetings, provision of financial support, etc.)
· Global: Ongoing
2. Provide and receive feedback from RFPs
· Global: Ongoing
3. Work more closely with regional networks, such as FAWE, and strengthen partnership at country level
· Global: Secretariat Head meetings with FAWE Uganda and Kenya during mission to ESAR, 6-07
· ESAR: Implementation commenced on MOU with 16 FAWE National Chapters pegged to receive general support; mainstreaming of gender responsive education programs being conducted in 5 FAWE National Chapters; gender responsive pedagogy and gender mainstreaming in teacher training to be conducted in Malawi
VI. Support peer learning/sharing of best practices between countries and regions
1. Organize exchange meetings between two regions for information sharing and capacity building on the achievements in gender equality and education.
· EAPR: Regional publication, Towards Equal Opportunities for All: Empowering Girls Through Partnerships in Education” published and disseminated in EAPR and ROSA
2. Develop a code of practice for how partnerships operate in relation to girls.
· Global: Draft Child Protection Policy to be considered at 11-07 GAC meeting
VII. Hold GAC meetings (June and November)
1. Prepare documents (agenda, background documents) and logistics for the meeting
· Global: Done
2. Prepare activity/progress reports, including financial reports for presentation to GAC members at the meetings
· Global: Done
· Regional: Done by RFPs for WCAR, ESAR, ROSA, EAPR
3. Follow up on recommendations
· Global: Done (see agenda items for 11-07 Business meeting
4. Support the travel of Secretariat staff (UNGEI and DOC) to participate in UNGEI meetings where necessary
· Global: Done for 11-07 Business meeting
Work Plan Objective 2: Enhance UNGEI’s global and regional communication and advocacy strategy
I. Further develop website as leading site on girls’ education and gender issues
1. Develop links to key resources, e.g. studies, manuals, tool kit, etc.
· Global: New resources include publications and papers from the Center for Global Development, UNESCO, World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF, Women's Commission for Refugee Children and Women, UN, DFID, EAP Regional UNGEI, BRIDGE, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Oxfam, Save the Children and VSO, The World Bank, International Rescue Committee, and others. Topics include women's empowerment, financing, gender equality, youth participation, and others (see full list attached).
· ESAR: Good practices in girls’ education from Burundi, Uganda, Lesotho, and Zambia finalized; advocacy paper on Transition to Post-primary Education under final production; preparations for National Launch of the Advocacy Paper on Post-primary education from Madagascar, Malawi and Zambia under way; study from UNICEF Madagascar country office shared at Opportunities Lost and Gained – a seminar on girls and education hosted by Norad in Oslo 08-07; Gender Audit conducted in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi and report is nearly finalized.
· EAPR: Regional UNGEI joint publication Towards Equal Opportunities for All: Empowering Girls through Partnerships in Education with seven good practice case studies produced and disseminated at key events such as the EAPR UNGEI Gender in Education Roundtable 07-07 and through the UNGEI website.
· ROSA: UNGEI Knowledge Series reports to be published in the first quarter of 2008: Girls' Education and Health, by Vimala Ramachandran; Girls' Quality Education, by Els Heijnen; Poverty and Vulnerability, by Eshya M. Mukhtar; Barriers to Girls' Education, by Roshan Chitrakar; and Gender Mainstreaming in Girls' Education, by Chandra Gunawardena. Draft synthesis paper to cover all five studies to be ready by the end of 2008.
· World Vision: See III.2.
· Commonwealth Secretariat: Resource book Gender Mainstreaming in Primary and Secondary Education by Ramya Subrahmanian to be published by 12-07; Research on Gender Analysis of Secondary Schooling Processes in seven countries (India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Malaysia, Samoa, Seychelles, Trinidad & Tobago), findings were shared with respective governments and amongst each other in an international workshop in Seychelles, and final reports to be available by mid-08.
· Norway: A White Paper on Women’s rights and gender equality in international development policy will be presented in 2008 to the Norwegian Parliament.
2. Showcase regional and country partnership activities in support of gender equality
· Global: 43 stories and 18 press releases/media advisories have been posted that span all regions. Partnership activities highlighted by press releases on major events such as Women Deliver, World Teachers’ Day, EAP Gender Roundtable, stories from a range of countries such as Iraq, Guinea, Ghana, Sudan, Benin, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Morocco, on issues ranging from conflict, bilingual education, child labour, sports, girls’ education goodwill ambassadors, as well as the digital diaries from CSW youth participants, such as Chinyanta from Zimbabwe, Tsholo from Botswana, Jane from Malawi and Fatuma from Kenya. 18 country profiles added or updated. Most stories and press also available in French and Spanish. (see full list attached)
· EAP: Press release and other information on Regional UNGEI Gender in Education Roundtable 07-07 jointly hosted and participated by various partners on the UNGEI and partners’ websites
· WCAR: All Girls to School Campaign, supported by Angelique Kidjo, was launched in 09-07 in Benin to mobilize all partners (including taxi drivers!) to enroll girls in school. A video reportage on the event was produced and highlighted on the website.
3. Feature UNGEI partners' profiles on the website.
· Global: partner profile of Commonwealth Secretariat and DANIDA featured in the Girls Too! newsletter and in the website. Establishment of and closer collaboration with communication focal points from partner agencies will enable this activity to be better carried out.
4. Database for technical experts on girls’ education and gender equality regularly updated with partners’ input and information on regional and country activities related to UNGEI with input from RFPs
· Global: New names regularly added to expert list, particularly through eDiscussions: Consultation with RFPs for experts in the academic community for outreach purposes. Regular contact maintained with RFPs for updates on country and regional activities.
II. Develop and implement GirlsEd-Net and other communication materials
1. Carry out GirlsEd-Net activities such as production and dissemination of newsletter and eDiscussions with the involvement of GAC Members
· Global: Monthly newsletter produced and disseminated, focusing on a particular country every month. Countries included: Uganda, Nepal, Zambia and Botswana. The last two issues also featured UNGEI champions, individuals nominated for their strong commitment and activism for girls’ education and gender equality. Quick facts on country of focus, key resources and latest stories are some of the other highlighted features. eDiscussion, Secondary Education and other Post Primary Opportunities, moderated by Jennifer Gibson of CAMFED International and Safety and security in and around schools: an integral component of access to education for girls, moderated by Prof. Bagele Chilisa of Botswana University, carried out with active participation of partner organisations.
· CIDA: Further support for gender and education policy development in Kenya as part of the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP). Building on earlier work on the development of the ‘Gender Policy in Education’, over the last six months, CIDA helped to mainstream this policy throughout district schools across the country, contributing to the dissemination and printing of 20,000 copies of the policy document.
2. Develop and disseminate communications materials for UNGEI (folders, print materials, videos, etc.)
· Global: UNGEI in Action and information sheets revised, re-printed and distributed at key events, such as June GAC meeting and Opportunities lost and gained – a seminar on girls and education hosted by Norad in 08-07. UNGEI Regional Updates brochure produced in close collaboration with RFPs and disseminated at UNICEF’s Extended Cluster meeting and Women Deliver global conference. French version also available.
· WCAR: Video clip featuring a message from UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo to education partners on the importance of investing in girls’ education produced, shown in larger education meetings and shared with country counterparts.
III. Support regional and country level advocacy initiatives
1. Establish communication focal points at regional and national levels
· Global: Communication focal points were identified from 2 additional GAC member organizations: DFID and World Vision; preliminary talks initiated by co-chair Norad with ADEA/COMED. Continued regional outreach exercise carried out due to limited response (see point 2 below).
· EAPR: UNGEI communication focal points appointed in UNICEF EAPR and among partners and jointly developed communication materials for the Gender Roundtable and the regional UNGEI publication 7-07; Regular communication and teleconference among UNGEI Secretariat Communication focal point and EAPR UNGEI Communication focal point and RFP