{"id":73952,"date":"2026-07-30T16:42:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T13:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fawe.org\/?p=73952"},"modified":"2026-07-30T16:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T13:42:42","slug":"driving-innovation-and-inclusion-fawes-powerful-presence-at-the-iea-expo-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fawe.org\/en\/driving-innovation-and-inclusion-fawes-powerful-presence-at-the-iea-expo-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving Innovation and Inclusion: FAWE’s Powerful Presence at the IEA Expo 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) Expo 2026, held on July 13-14 at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, provided a premier platform for advancing the continent’s education transformation agenda. Under the theme “Accelerating the Digital Transformation of Education: Scaling Innovative Solutions for the AU Decade of Education and Skills 2025\u20132034,” the expo convened policymakers, educators, innovators, and development partners from across the continent. FAWE Africa, led by Deputy Executive Director Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, seized this opportunity to showcase the organization’s evidence-based approaches and strengthen partnerships committed to advancing quality, inclusive education across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAWE’s delegation demonstrated how strategic investments in STEM education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), digital learning platforms, and student-led innovation are creating tangible opportunities for girls and young people across the continent. The organization’s presence at the expo highlighted its role as a continental leader in advancing gender-transformative education, showcasing models that have proven effective in increasing enrollment, retention, and success for girls and marginalized learners. FAWE’s contributions resonated with the expo’s expanded scope, which now encompasses innovations across basic education, higher education, TVET, artificial intelligence, robotics, and green skills development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A significant moment during FAWE’s participation was the courtesy visit to H.E. Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI). Discussions centered on strengthening collaboration between FAWE and the African Union Commission to advance girls’ and women’s education across the continent. The Commissioner, in his keynote address, emphasized the importance of digital transformation that is inclusive, learner-centered, and sustainable, noting that “every learner deserves the opportunity to benefit from technology, regardless of where they live or their economic background”. This vision aligns closely with FAWE’s mission to ensure that educational innovation reaches the most marginalized learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAWE’s intellectual contributions to the expo’s high-level discussions were substantial and influential. Teresa Omondi-Adeitan led a plenary session on Green Skills, Climate-Responsive TVET, and Education for Sustainable Economies, highlighting the critical intersection between environmental sustainability and skills development for girls and young women. Stanley Muigai, FAWE’s Digital Learning & Innovation Officer, served as a panelist on Human-Centered, Ethical and Sovereign AI for Education Systems, emphasizing the importance of inclusive digital transformation that prioritizes the needs and rights of girls and women. These contributions positioned FAWE at the forefront of critical conversations shaping the future of African education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the conference concluded, FAWE reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to driving innovation and expanding opportunities for girls and young women across Africa. The expo, which since 2018 has received over 12,700 innovations and reached more than one million beneficiaries, provided an invaluable platform for FAWE to showcase its work and forge new partnerships. FAWE’s engagement at the IEA Expo 2026 demonstrates the organization’s strategic alignment with the African Union’s vision for education and skills development under Agenda 2063, positioning it as a key partner in building a prosperous, innovative, and inclusive Africa.<\/p>\n\n

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