Celebrating Gender and EiE Achievements: 2021 in review

Celebrating Gender and EiE Achievements: 2021 in review

In recent years, we’ve witnessed unprecedented challenges to girls' education in the form of the global COVID-19 pandemic, school shutdowns, protracted conflicts, climate change, displacement, and more. In response, INEE has been working closely with key gender and education partners, including through the INEE Girls’ Education in Emergencies Reference Group and the INEE Gender Task Team, to take collaborative and coordinated action to advance women's and girls’ education in emergencies (EiE). 

As we enter 2022, we reflect back on the key achievements made in promoting gender-responsive EiE over the last year. INEE exists for and because of its members; your incredible dedication and hard work is what makes all of our initiatives possible, and with your support, we plan to continue to strengthen our efforts to promote quality, safe, secure, and inclusive education for all. 

Strengthening the Evidence Base for Gender and Girls’ EiE  

Robust data and evidence are often the key gaps in evidence-informed programming and action for gender-responsive EiE. In 2021, INEE launched new publications to contribute to the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education’s commitment to enhance the evidence base and monitor progress toward gender-equitable education in crises. 

Our Mind the Gap report summarizes progress, gaps, challenges and opportunities in improving education and training for girls and women affected by conflict and crisis. The accompanying Policy Brief, Closing the Gap offers key policy recommendations to address the gaps identified in the delivery, funding, and data relating to girls’ and women’s education in  crisis contexts.                

Sharing good practice

INEE collaborated with partners to develop practical gender tools and resources to support the sharing of good practices in gender-responsive EiE. The EiE-GenKit, a joint initiative of INEE, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), provides education practitioners with practical tools to promote gender-responsive programming  from crisis to peace and sustainable development. 

The INEE Gender Training Manual and the online course Introduction to the INEE Guidance Note on Gender train education practitioners on the INEE Guidance Note on Gender for delivering education in a gender-responsive manner. The training manual outlines 4-8 hours of training activities and materials on key gender concepts and strategies for gender-responsive EiE. Check out the launch webinar recording here.

INEE’s Educate Us! podcast series, launched in 2021, features a range of stories and perspectives on women’s and girls’ EiE, 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. Listen to the stories and learn how women and girls are navigating challenges including education in crisis-context, early marriage and early pregnancy, disability and inclusive education, periods, gender-based violence, and teaching in crisis settings.                       

Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Sharing

INEE brought together its members and partners for strategic exchange and knowledge sharing on women’s and girls’ EiE. The ongoing blog series Committing to Change documents INEE members’ promising approaches to girls EiE and describes how they have adapted their initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the many stories from the field on how EiE practitioners are responding to and designing solutions ranging from gender-based violence, remote learning, post-pregnancy return to schools, equitable data collection, and more! 

INEE participated in and hosted global advocacy and policy discussions on good practice in gender-responsive EiE. Watch the live recordings to hear the perspectives of gender and EiE experts and practitioners on how data-driven advocacy can shape policy and programming, how programs have adapted to overcome the gendered barriers to return to school “post” Covid-19, and the strategies governments can adopt to support gender-responsive education in emergencies.

Looking Ahead

Over the course of 2022, INEE will continue to advance progress towards girls’ EiE and to mainstream gender across its work. We hope to collaborate and join efforts with those who share our vision for girls’ EiE. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you are interested in contributing in any of the following ways:

• Join the Gender channel of the INEE Community of Practice (CoP): Connect and network with other gender and EiE experts and peers by joining INEE CoP - an online platform that facilitates peer-to-peer communication and moderated discussions on EiE topics.
• Host or join an INEE Meet-Up on Gender: Be a part of the INEE Meet-Ups, which are informal gatherings in all corners of the globe where INEE members and others can network, share experiences, and discuss relevant topics. 
• Share good practice and lessons learned by contributing to the Committing to Change blog series or Educate Us! podcast. 
• Stay updated: Sign up for our monthly Gender newsletter which includes updates from the INEE Gender Task Team and INEE Girls’ EiE Reference Group and a list of curated resources, events, and opportunities related to Gender and EiE. 

We would like to use this opportunity to thank the many members, partners, and donors who have made our work possible. The INEE Secretariat looks forward to continuing this important work with you in 2022!