Future4Girls: Advancing Gender Equality in Education Through Regional Collaboration and Policy Insights

Friday, 27 December 2024 |
blank-div
Policy and Governance in Education

Future4Girls: Advancing Gender Equality in Education Through Regional Collaboration and Policy Insights
Crisant Raisha, Project Manager, Future4Girls, SEAMEO Secretariat

 

 

 

As a sideline event of the 47th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting, the Future4Girls Programme, focused on creating an empowered and equal future for girls, conducted a consultation meeting with SEAMEO’s networks. The meeting aimed to share the initial findings of the ongoing "Regional Mapping Study on Gender-Related Policies and Programmes in Southeast Asia's Education Sector," led by the Future4Girls team and Dr Hani Yulindrasari.

During the consultation sessions, the Future4Girls team presented and sought feedback on the initial findings of their ongoing study. This study focuses on School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV), mental health, and skill development initiatives across all 11 Southeast Asian countries. The sessions brought together participants from SEAMEO Member Countries, Regional Centres and Network, as well as civil society organisations. Key highlights from the study’s preliminary findings, as shared during the discussions, are outlined as follow:

Commitment to Children's Rights in Education: The study highlights a strong, shared commitment among Southeast Asian countries to uphold children's rights in education. This is evident through the ratification of key international agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Dakar Framework for Action, Education for All, the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

National Policies on SRGBV: All Southeast Asian countries have implemented national policies aimed at preventing school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), reflecting a unified effort to tackle this critical issue at the policy level.

Digital Safety and SRGBV: The rise of digital technology has exacerbated challenges related to SRGBV, emphasising the urgent need to enhance child online safety. While all Southeast Asian nations have policies addressing cybersecurity and data protection, the integration of digital literacy into school curricula remains inconsistent across the region. This gap underscores the need for greater alignment between technology use and education systems to safeguard children effectively.

 

During the consultation sessions, participants offered insightful suggestions to enhance the study further. Key recommendations included appointing government focal points to support data collection efforts and creating a platform for civil society organisations (CSOs) to share their related studies and reports, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Following the meeting, the SEAMEO Secretariat will distribute two questionnaires—one for Ministries of Education and another for schools—to gain deeper insights into the implementation of existing policies and programmes. The final report from this study aims to serve as a cornerstone for regional advocacy, advancing inclusive and quality education by promoting gender-transformative education policies.