In Solidarity With Girls: Gender and education in crisis

This policy brief series draws from a series of intergenerational dialogues on gender and education in crisis.

Brief 1: Opening up better and getting girls back to school
Drawing on the ‘build back better’ principle, this brief contributes to policy dialogues and discussions on how we can plan for and work towards more equal, gender-responsive school systems once restrictions are lifted. This policy brief builds on the content of an intergenerational dialogue that is representative of the wider youth network that each advocate represents. The dialogue focused on the gendered impacts of school closures and youth-led, innovative responses that are being undertaken in different contexts. It also explored some policy measures and actions aimed at governments, policymakers, and other key stakeholders to promote girls’ return to school. 

Brief 2: Rebuilding a 'new normal' in education post COVID-10
This brief contributes to policy dialogues and discussions on how we can transform our education systems to work better for girls. The intergenerational dialogue on which this policy brief is based discussed the existing inequalities that have been exacerbated through the pandemic, with a focus on the gender digital divide. The brief also outlines concrete actions to rebuild a ‘new normal’ in education post COVID-19, alongside visions for more gender equal, inclusive education systems. The recommendations are aimed at governments, policymakers, funders and other key stakeholders in the gender and education space.

Brief 3: COVID-19 and girls' education: A Tale of Two Futures
This brief contributes to discussions on how to avoid returning to a status quo which does not provide quality, inclusive education for all. It builds on an intergenerational dialogue which focused on measures that must be taken now to prevent a future where inequalities of learning and gender continue to deepen. The dialogue also highlighted innovative ways in which these inequalities can be reversed, in order to rebuild more resilient, inclusive education systems.

Section 4: Recommendations
This section comprises the overall learnings and recommendations from the intergenerational dialogue series. This is an unprecedented crisis, however many of the challenges to learning existed prior to the pandemic. Simply reopening schools, and returning to ‘normal’ after the pandemic, doesn’t mean returning to a genderequal world. We must reimagine education systems to provide equal opportunity and equal pathways into the future, so that we come out of COVID stronger and better for adolescent girls.