GSAI Pushes for Girls' Education and Women's Political Inclusion in Advocacy Visit to Education Ministry

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Second from right: GSAI Programme Officer Grace Udie with Ministry of Education staff after an advocacy visit in Abuja. 

The Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI) team, led by the Programs Officer representing our Executive Director, conducted an advocacy visit to the Federal Ministry of Education. The purpose of the visit was to discuss critical issues affecting girls' education and women's political participation in Nigeria.

The purpose of the advocacy visit was to share outcomes from her baseline report on women's political participation in Nigeria and the report on gender budget dynamics and findings from the investigative report on "Young Girls Dropping Out of School and Early Child Marriage." This report highlighted the challenges faced by young girls in accessing education and the socio-cultural factors contributing to school dropouts and early marriage in the FCT. These reports under the "Gender the Agenda" project, supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the MacArthur Foundation, highlighted the need to hold The Federal Ministry of Education accountable for the lapses in schools in communities within the six area councils in the FCT and to ignite change in the sector.

Representing the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Aisuedion, Deputy Director of Special Education and Language Projects, commended GSAI's efforts in advancing education through advocacy, training, and research. He also expressed the Ministry's commitment to collaborate with GSAI to improve educational outcomes for students across Nigeria and not only in the FCT.

GSAI Programme Officer Grace Udie interacting with Ministry of Education staff during an advocacy visit in Abuja 
RECOMMENDATIONS

1.   Collaborations and partnerships with relevant stakeholders to review and enforce existing policies against early marriage, ensuring they align with educational objectives for young girls.

2.     Continuous community outreach programs that educate parents and guardians on the long-term benefits of education over early marriage, highlighting success stories and providing incentives for keeping girls in school.

3.     Establishment of support systems within schools, such as mentorship programs and counseling services, to assist girls at risk of dropping out due to early marriage pressures.

4.     Creation of scholarship programs that target young girls, especially those from low-income families, to reduce the financial burden that often leads to early marriages.

5.     Implement a robust data collection and monitoring system to track the educational progress of girls, identify high-risk areas for early marriage, and measure the impact of interventions aimed at reducing school dropout rates.

The Federal Ministry of Education pledged ongoing cooperation with GSAI to support gender equity and equal access to Education in the FCT for women, girls, and persons with disabilities.

 

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