USAID conference

pfleming@edc.org
5/8/98 1:53 PM EST


Hi everyone. Things are very interesting here at the USAID International
Conference on the Education of Girls. We'll post a full report next week, but
wanted to start with some survey results of attendees who came by our table.
You probably won't be surprised to find out that many of the obstacles and
victories are common across political boundaries. I was transcribing from
unfamiliar handwriting, so there may be some mistakes. I stuck with the grammar
and spelling that was on the forms to ensure that I didn't inadvertently shift
anyone's intent. We hope these and the coming postings will inspire lots of
interesting conversation!

Paula Fleming
Marketing Communications Director
WEEA Equity Resource Center
pfleming@edc.org

The following is a compilation of the responses that we have received from
people that Paula had a chance to speak with at the conference this week. Thank
you for sharing, Paula, about the work and people who are involved in gender
equity all over the world!

Susan Carter
Information Specialist
WEEA Equity Resource Center
edequity-admin@mail.edc.org

Who are you?
Daoyu Wang
Ministry of Education
What country do you represent?
China
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Poor girls in remote areas
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
UNDP education programme in poor areas to get access, learning life skills,
etc.
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Equal opportunity to success
What would you like to achieve?
Access and then equal opportunity to information, knowledge & success
What would you like to share?
Provide information and knowldege with modern technology is effective in remote
areas

Who are you?
Monique Bidaoui, Chief
Office of Education
What country do you represent?
Morocco
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Primary education
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
With USAID in support of the Moroccan Ministryof National Education Strategy for
the Development of Rural Education
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
External, Religious
Dropout pre-teenage age, girls work in the household
What would you like to achieve?
Equal educational opportunities for girls
What would you like to share?
Partnerships and community involvement are important to support girls ed.

Who are you?
Frank Dall, PhD
Regional Education Advisor
Unicef Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa
What country do you represent?
Middle East and North Africa
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
10 million in 20 countries
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Girls education is our regional strategy for MENA - 14 countries!
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
What would you like to achieve?
EFA in MENA by 2000!
What would you like to share?
Whatever we do or publish

Who are you?
Dr. Robert Henderson, Secretary General
Baha'is of the US
What country do you represent?
US
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
All women and girls
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Literacy/educ programs, intl network service programs, social/economic
development programs worldwide
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Equality, advancement, social/economic development, education, health, safety
What would you like to achieve?
Full participation for women in all areas
What would you like to share?
Baha'I Statement on Equality

Who are you?
Sombath, PadetC
Vientiane, Laos
What country do you represent?
Laos
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Girls of all ages from rural areas
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Economic improvement
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Attitudinal problems
What would you like to achieve?
More girls' participation
What would you like to share?
Not much to share at this point

Who are you?
Julie Imada, Director of Fundraising and Community Relations
The Peace Jam Foundation
What country do you represent?
US
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
14-19 year old teens
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
We apprentice high school youth with Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. We are open
to all youth and our mission is to inspire and transform youth to become leaders
of peace in their community
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Keeping youth continually engaged in their growth as human activists for change
What would you like to achieve?
What would you like to share?

Who are you?
Lea Afouda-Gaba
What country do you represent?
Benin, West Africa
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Rural and urban girls and women (poor particularly)
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Information - developing programme of education credit and saving money to
develop economic activities. Learning native language (Benin is
French-speaking)
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Staying in school. Relation between teachers and girls - the weight of
tradition
What would you like to achieve?
To help girls to attend secondary school. For women to solve their own
problems. To win and defend their rights.
What would you like to share?
The program of stay in school and women saving money - credit to small business.

Who are you?
Mrs YEKENI Adjsari Olga
MSPSEF Directorate For Women's Affairs
What country do you represent?
Benin
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Rural women and young girls education and information (6 years to 55 years and
older)
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
To give the luck for girls to go to school and study as boys in the family.
Education for women and young girls about fighting agencies to bad cultures
traditions so they can study and work.
What would you like to achieve?
Information about gender and social mobilization to help people recognize that
education is important
What would you like to share?
My work in the villages with women and young girls, boys and political and
religious authorities.

Who are you?
Sarah Mayanja
USAID
What country do you represent?
Uganda
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Primary school children (6-14)
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Providing incentive to increase girls persistence and improve performance.
Community mobilization
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
More girls dropping out of school while boys continue with education
What would you like to achieve?
Increased economic development arising from increase in educated women improving
health of communities.
What would you like to share?

Who are you?
Florence Malinga (Mrs.)
Ministry of Education
What country do you represent?
Uganda
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Mainly those of school going age in and out of school
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
As head of planning in the MOE I ensure that all policies and programmes
developed take care of the girls
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Security of girls in the school environment
Provision of adequate sanitary facilities which lack in most institutions for
girls.
What would you like to achieve?
A society/sector where there is no discrimination whatever as far as
opportunities are concerned
What would you like to share?
The Ugandan experience in terms of intervention

Who are you?
Gayat Marie Michelle
Journaliste
What country do you represent?
Benin
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
5-8 year old girls; 20-50 year old women
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
By making reportage to show how is women's economic, social and cultural
situation in Benin villages
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
The traditional position and traditional way to see girl and women rule in the
society.
What would you like to achieve?
I will like to compare women situation through the develop village and
underdeveloped town.
What would you like to share?
I will like to make people now the good politic that the government have to
promote girls education two years ago in Benin

Who are you?
Marie Constance Melome
Journalist
What country do you represent?
Benin
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
I do document in TV
Recreation document
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Education
Discrimination between boys and girls
What would you like to achieve?
Change - make things different
What would you like to share?
Information, experience.

Who are you?
Sakena Yacobi
What country do you represent?
Afghanistan
Who are the women and girls about whom you are concerned age, education level,
socio-economic class)?
Girls age 3 - 18 years old
In what ways do you work to improve the education of women and girls in your
country?
Teacher training pre-school to primary school
What are the gender equity issues you face? How are they defined?
Afghan women are very deprs (?), because of prejudices against them
What would you like to achieve?
Hope to continue our project to go inside Afghanistan
What would you like to share?
I appoint technical assistants. Could a TA advisor - volunteer to talk with
them about their programs


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