Six key takeaways
from Opening Up Better:
Back-to-School for Every Girl
On 8 October 2020, UNICEF hosted Opening Up Better: Back-to-School for Every Girl. This high-level event brought together stakeholders from across the UK, Ghana, Denmark, Canada, and Ireland, as well as civil society, the private sector, the public, young people and Unicef UK Supporter Claire Foy, to revisit and recommit to girls’ education during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.
The stark impact of Covid-19 on education cannot be overstated. Over 1.6 billion learners’ education was disrupted at the peak, and more than 550 million remain affected. But the pandemic does not affect all learners, or all children, equally.
We know from the Ebola pandemic that girls are at particular risk during this time – and far more than just their learning is being disrupted.
Opening Up Better was an opportunity to have a global conversation, informed by the voices of young people, to discuss how the international community can support girls’ education during and after the pandemic.
As the UK Government continues its leadership in supporting 12 years of quality education for every girl and assumes the Presidency of the G7 next year, it is critical that the Government seizes this dialogue as a stepping-stone to meaningful change. These six key takeaways can help guide this journey.
Six key takeaways from the event
1. Even before Covid-19, too many girls were out of school.
The world is in the depths of a learning crisis, one that disproportionately impacts girls. As FCDO Minister and Special Envoy for Girls’ Education Baroness Sugg noted, far too many girls were out of school even before Covid-19 hit. But we know that educated girls grow up as empowered women, ready to lift their communities.
2. Learning at school is important.
The pandemic has demonstrated how critical digital connectivity and skills are for learning in the modern day. UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore highlighted the need to ensure girls have a comprehensive set of skills, including STEM and digital skills, as well as supporting their connectivity, as a key area of action for girls’ education. We were reminded by Ms Michelle Winthrop of Ireland about the challenging gender stereotypes that restrict girls’ subject choices, and thus the critical importance of ensuring they are able to develop a range of skills including communication, collaboration, digital and problem-solving skills. When girls go back, they must have every opportunity to learn and thrive.
3. But it’s not enough to just talk about education.
Panellists spoke about the many additional barriers girls face in accessing education. As Ambassador Hermann of Denmark noted, ‘Education should not stand alone.’ From violence and harassment on the way to school, to early and forced child marriage, to a lack of hygienic WASH facilities for menstrual hygiene management, it is key that education interventions address more than just learning. Deputy Director General Dr. Kwabena Bempah Tandoh noted that Ghana has already begun this work, training regional and district officers for a safer return to school. As we schools reopen, countries cannot focus on education alone.
4. We need much more investment to realise the right to education for every girl.
We heard many calls to increase investment in education. Parliamentary Secretary Khela of Canada provided a welcome commitment to expand support for global education, supporting Baroness Sugg’s important statement that ‘it is more important than ever that we invest in girls around the world.’ Baroness Sugg also noted the need to demonstrate the value of education to families and communities, encouraging them to properly value girls. If we really want to deliver on global education commitments, there must be investment behind it. That’s why Unicef UK is asking the UK Government to commit to spend at least 15% of UK ODA on education and deliver an early and ambitious pledge to the Global Partnership for Education replenishment in 2021.
5. We need to build back better for every girl.
While many girls face additional challenges in accessing education because of their gender, other factors are at play, too. Poverty, disability, or living in a conflict zone, among others, can all add additional obstacles to the return to school. Parliamentary Secretary Khela of Canada noted that ‘in refugee camps, girls are half as likely as boys to enrol in secondary education.’ When schools reopen, they must do so for every child, including every girl. Unicef UK believes that the most effective way for the government to realise its commitment to 12 years of quality education for every girl is through delivering a holistic, systems strengthening approach to education that incorporates core principles of quality education development.
6. And we just need to listen to girls.
Ms Winthrop reminded us that ‘too often, adolescent girls are left out of conversations surrounding education.’ We heard also from Parliamentary Secretary Khela about the critical need to include the voices of children and youth in girls’ education initiatives. Because, as Baroness Sugg put so eloquently, ‘girls here in the UK care about education for girls around the world.’ The same is true across the world. Girls care, and know, about education. If we give them the platform, they will offer the solutions we seek.
All speakers provided a Call to Action for the global community. In order to realise the right to education for every girl and achieve Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5 these calls must be heard around the world.
Unicef UK believes that the UK Government has a critical role to play. It should continue to lead this effort by, as Claire Foy noted, committing to, investing in, and championing education, for every child.