Educate Us! Podcast

Educate Us! Women and Girls on Learning in Humanitarian Crises is an INEE podcast series about women’s and girls’ education in humanitarian crises. The series features a range of stories and perspectives on women’s and girls’ education in emergencies, and explores the gains made in girls’ education and the slip backwards caused by the pandemic. This series is a broad and intimate invitation for listeners to hear the stories behind the statistics, from the women and girls who live them. 

Episodes center on the unique challenges and opportunities women and girls experience while living and learning in humanitarian contexts. Building on momentum generated by the 2018 Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education and the 2021 Declaration on Girls’ Education, this is a timely and needed look into where we are and what still needs to be accomplished. We hope you’ll listen. 

Educate Us! is available on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Audible.

Episode transcripts are available upon request. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information. 

Season 4

Episode 22. How can we mitigate the risk of gender-based violence in education in emergencies programming?

In this episode, we’ll explore the systems and stakeholders involved in gender-based violence risk mitigation (GBVRM), introduce a new learning brief on GBVRM, and hear some practical examples how practitioners in Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Sudan are creating safer schools and education systems for women and girls living through humanitarian crises. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Education Cannot Wait, the Global Education Cluster, Global Village Healthcare Initiative for Africa (GHIV Africa), Save the Children, UNICEF, and the Universal Network for Knowledge Empowerment Agency (UNKEA) for their support with this episode.

Episodio 21. En el punto de mira: Venezuela [en español] / Episode 21. Spotlight: Venezuela [Spanish]

En este episodio especial en español, escucharemos a educadores y jóvenes activistas hablar de los retos y oportunidades de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje en Venezuela y la diáspora venezolana. 

In this special episode in Spanish, we’ll hear from educators and youth activists on the challenges and opportunities of teaching and learning in Venezuela and the Venezuelan diaspora. 

Queremos agradecer a Global Affairs Canada, World Vision International, y Jóvenes Migrantes por el Desarrollo Sostenible por todo su apoyo para la realización de este episodio. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision International, and Jóvenes Migrantes por el Desarrollo Sostenible for their support with this episode. 

Episode 20. How can we support LGBTQIA+ learners in emergencies? 

In this episode, we’ll hear from Jamaican LGBTQIA+ rights advocates on how they’re helping communities to create safe and affirming learning spaces for LGBTQIA+ learners and supporting young people to advocate for their rights. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Rainbow Railroad, and Equality for All Foundation for their support with this episode.

Episode 19. What is comprehensive sexuality education and why does it matter in emergencies?

Welcome back for season 4! In this episode, we’ll hear from teachers and education practitioners in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon on what comprehensive sexuality education is, why it is important, and how we can respond to pushback against sexual and reproductive health and rights in and through education.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada and World Vision Canada, Brookings Institution, UNICEF Lebanon, and the Initiative for Self Development and Discovery,  for their support with this episode.

Season 4 trailer

A new season of Educate Us! is coming soon! In this fourth season, we're addressing some key questions on safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive education for girls in humanitarian settings. We’ll hear from practitioners on supporting LGBTQIA+ learners, teachers on accelerating learning for pregnant and parenting girls, and from women’s rights advocates on how sexual and reproductive health and rights education impacts girls lives and livelihoods. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada and Education Development Trust for their support with this episode. 

Bonus Content: "Mind the Gap" in girls' education in emergencies

In this bonus mini-episode, we’ll hear from Ella Page, co-author of the Mind the Gap 3 report. We’ll discuss progress, gaps, and challenges in girls’ education in emergencies, with particular attention to supporting female teachers in crisis-affected contexts.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada and Education Development Trust for their support with this episode. 

Season 3

Episode 18. Spotlight: Afghanistan, two years on

In this episode, we’ll hear from Afghan educators on how women’s and girls’ education and livelihoods have been impacted since the Taliban returned to power, and how women and girls are still striving to learn against all odds.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada and World Vision Canada for their support with this episode. 

Episode 17. Why is quality data important for girls’ education in emergencies?

In this episode, we’re talking about why girls’ education in emergencies data matters and how it can be collected in a safe and responsible way. We’ll hear from advocates and researchers on how gender-responsive data can be used to inform policy and practice. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Equal Measures 2030 and Pangea Educational Development for their support with this episode. 

Episode 16: Why do bathrooms matter in schools?

In this episode, we’ll hear from practitioners in Bangladesh on how safe, clean bathrooms in schools can be an important enabler for girls’ education. We’ll learn what makes a bathroom “girl-friendly” and how they can be leveraged to provide critical health and hygiene services. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, UNICEF, and UNHCR for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 15: Spotlight: Kakuma, Kenya

In this episode, we hear from teachers and learners in Kakuma on the challenges and opportunities of teaching and learning in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada and World Vision Canada for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 14: Why does mental health matter in education? 

In this episode, we’ll hear from educators in Kenya and Nepal on why mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) are an important part of a quality education. We’ll learn strategies for supporting teachers’ and learners’ mental health in and through education.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Brookings Institute and My Emotions Matter for their support with this episode.

 

Episode 13: How does climate change impact girls’ education? 

Welcome back to season 3 of Educate Us! In this episode, we’ll hear from educators in Kenya and Zimbabwe on how climate change is affecting girls’ education in emergencies, and what they are doing to help children, youth, and learning spaces adapt to increasingly harsh conditions. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, and CARE for their support with this episode. 
 

Season 3 trailer

A new season of Educate Us! is coming soon! In this third season, we're addressing some key questions on safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive education for girls in humanitarian settings. We’ll hear from practitioners on gender-responsive mental health programming, teachers on creating inclusive classrooms, and youth advocates on how climate change affects girls’ education. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, and World Vision Canada for their support with this episode. 

Season 2

BONUS CONTENT: O clube da felicidade

Neste miniepisódio bônus em português, nós ouvimos o depoimento de uma professora de Moçambique, no qual ela nos conta como usa monitoria entre pares para construir um ambiente de apoio para meninas aprenderem juntas habilidades de liderança e subsistência.

In this bonus mini-episode in Portuguese, we hear from a teacher in Mozambique on how she uses peer mentoring to create a supportive environment where girls can learn leadership and livelihood skills together. 

Gostaríamos de agradecer à Global Affairs Canada e à Right to Play pelo apoio para este episódio.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, and Right to Play for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 12: Learning By Doing: Gender-Responsive Technical and Vocational Education

In the final episode of Season 2, we’ll learn how technical and vocational education provides an opportunity for women and girls to continue to learn when formal education is out of reach. We’ll hear from practitioners in Colombia, Jordan, Kenya on how this practical, hands-on model is supporting women and girls to develop the skills they need to support themselves and their families.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Global Partnership for Education, Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Journal on Education in Emergencies (JEiE) for their support with this episode.

 

Episode 11: You Are Never Too Young To Learn! Gender-Responsive Early Childhood Education 

In this episode, we’ll hear from a teacher in South Africa on how she creates an inclusive and engaging learning environment and uses play-based learning to support young girls and boys to challenge gender stereotypes.  

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, and VVOB for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 10: Who Gets To Learn During A Pandemic? Including Girls In Distance Education

In this episode, we’ll hear about girls’ experiences with distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how educators in the Philippines ensured that girls were continuing to learn during school closures. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Transform Education, MAYEIN, and Plan International for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 9: We Should All Be Feminists! Engaging Men And Boys In The Fight For Gender Equality

In this episode, we’ll hear from educators in Kenya and Guatemala on how they are upsetting traditional understandings of masculinity and engaging men and boys in the fight for gender equality. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, Padare/Enkundleni/Men’s Forum on Gender, and the Global Partnership for Education for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 8: Learning & Growing Together - Peer Mentoring & Girls' Groups

In this episode, we’ll hear from teachers and peer mentors in Malawi, Mozambique, and Kenya on how girls’ groups can provide fun and interactive opportunities for girls to learn about sexual and reproductive health, develop leadership and livelihood skills, and co-create a supportive environment where they can learn and grow together. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, Right to Play, and the Jesuit Refugee Service for their support with this episode. 
 

Episode 7: Listen To Us! Girl-Led Advocacy For Education

Welcome back for Season 2 of Educate Us! 

In our first episode, we’ll hear from youth activists in Kenya and Uganda on what inspired them to become education advocates, how they’re working in their communities to change the perception of women and girls, and how girl-led activism is changing the landscape for education in emergencies. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, and the Global Partnership for Education, for their support with this episode. 
 

Bonus Content: A Future At Risk - Girls’ Education in Afghanistan 

In this bonus mini-episode, Rangina Hamidi, former Acting Minister of Education for Afghanistan, shares her experience working in education and women’s empowerment, and tells us what she thinks the Taliban takeover means for girls’ education in Afghanistan. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, and Education Cannot Wait for their support with this episode. 

 

Bonus Content: Éduquer une fille, éduquer une nation

Dans ce court épisode en bonus, nous pouvons écouter comment une enseignante du Niger a soutenu ses élèves pour qu’ils et elles puissent continuer d’apprendre durant la longue période de fermeture des écoles due à la pandémie de Covid-19. 

In this bonus mini-episode, we hear from a teacher in Niger on how she supported her students to continue learning during COVID-19 school closures. 

Nous voulons remercier Affaires Mondiales Canada, Plan International, and Strømme Foundation pour leur soutien dans la réalisation de cet épisode. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Plan International, and Strømme Foundation for their support with this episode. 
 

Season 1

Episode 6: Teachers - The Backbone of Education

In the final episode of season one, we hear from teachers about how displacement has affected their work and their wellbeing and how they’re supporting their students and fellow teachers to succeed against all odds. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, Plan International, and Education Cannot Wait, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Strømme Foundation for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 5: Not Safe To Learn 

In our fifth episode, we learn how gender-based violence affects women and girl’s lives and education. We speak with feminist leaders from Myanmar about the extreme conditions women and girls are facing and how they are fighting for their rights and their communities.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Together for Girls, the Triangle Women’s Organization and the Karen Women’s Organization for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 4: Periods

In our fourth episode, we’ll learn how periods can be a barrier to education for women and girls around the world. We hear from Sesame Workshop and World Vision Zimbabwe about how they use their beloved characters to help young women navigate puberty and remove the stigma around menstruation.

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Sesame Workshop, World Vision Zimbabwe, and Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 3: I Have A Disability, I’m Not Disabled

In our third episode, we’ll discuss the specific challenges girls with disabilities face in learning during crises. We’ll hear from disability and inclusive education activists Nujeen Mustafa and Nafisa Baboo about their experiences and why inclusive education is important not only for students with disabilities, but for all students. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, Education Cannot Wait, and Light for the World, for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 2: Married Young But Fighting For Education

In our second episode, we’ll discuss the pervasive issues of early marriage and early pregnancy and how communities are supporting girls to return to school post-pregnancy. We’ll hear from a Somali woman in Kenya on her experience being married and having children at a young age and how that impacted her education. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision, and Girls Not Brides, for their support with this episode. 

 

Episode 1: Motivated

In this first episode, we introduce some of the key challenges affecting women and girls’ education in crisis-affected contexts. We’ll hear from two women and a young girl on their experiences with education in Kenya and Malawi, and why education is important to them. 

We’d like to thank Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Canada, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, for their support with this episode.