NAIROBI, Kenya – On 27 August, the 2nd Edition of the East Africa Education Conference at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi became the stage for a powerful and necessary conversation on the future of learning. Co-hosted by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Africa and the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), the session, titled *”How Can Gender-Transformative Approaches Support Learning and Equality Outcomes for All Learners: Building a Framework for Inclusivity, Accountability and Impact,”* delivered a resounding message to the region’s education stakeholders: inclusion must go beyond mere access; it must ensure that every learner was seen, supported, and able to thrive.
This high-level dialogue took place within the broader context of the conference, a strategic platform aimed at moving education in the East African Community (EAC) from commitments to measurable, sustainable impact. With education systems across East Africa facing persistent inequalities in access and quality, the conference provided a critical backdrop for this discussion on how to build truly inclusive systems.
The session reinforced the critical understanding that gender-transformative approaches were not just about enrolling girls in school but about fundamentally reshaping the learning environment to be equitable for all. The discussion moved beyond theory to spotlight the lived realities of learners who were most often left behind: children with disabilities, refugees, and ethnic minorities. These groups, participants highlighted, frequently faced stigma, discrimination, and a stark lack of visibility within national education systems and data.
Drawing on the latest thinking in gender-responsive education, the conversation emphasized that for education to be truly inclusive, it must acknowledge and actively work to dismantle the power dynamics and harmful norms that created and perpetuated inequality. This required moving beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach to one that actively addressed the specific barriers faced by different groups of learners.
To build a robust framework for inclusivity, accountability, and impact, the session identified several key priorities that would guide future collaboration between FAWE Africa and UNGEI:
1. Identifying and Reaching the Furthest Behind: The first and most crucial step was to systematically identify learners who were being left behind. This required moving beyond aggregated data to understand the specific challenges faced by marginalized groups.
2. Strengthening Teacher Capacity: The discussion underscored the vital role of teachers in creating inclusive classrooms. This meant scaling initiatives like FAWE’s Gender-Responsive Pedagogy (GRP), which equipped educators with the skills to foster learning environments where all students, regardless of gender, ability, or background, could succeed.
3. Engaging Parents and Communities: As FAWE’s own models like the “Mothers’ Clubs” had demonstrated, lasting change required the active engagement and support of parents and the wider community in challenging negative norms and supporting girls’ education.
4. Strengthening Policy and Accountability Mechanisms: The session called for stronger, more accountable policies that went beyond rhetoric. This included developing and implementing robust safeguards to protect children from abuse and exploitation, a key tenet of FAWE’s partnership with organizations like ANPPCAN.
5. Using Disaggregated Data: A powerful consensus emerged on the need to use disaggregated data to inform budgets and track who was being reached. Without this granular data, it was impossible to know if interventions were truly having an impact on the most vulnerable learners.
A Partnership for Transformation The session at the 2nd East Africa Education Conference was a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between FAWE Africa and UNGEI. Both organizations had long championed the cause of gender equality in education, and this collaboration represented a strategic effort to embed gender-transformative principles at the heart of regional education policy.