The African Union (AU) International Centre for Girls and Women education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) says its high time women and girls are geared towards competitive industries in the fields of science.
“It is imperative for African States to move from commitment to action, to invest in human capital and financial resources so as to build self-confidence of girls and young women and boost their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or higher level of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” said the AU in a statement.
Against this backdrop, the AU held the second High Level Dialogue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which aims to promote STEM-focused TVET for women and girls.
The dialogue forms part of the 30th AU Summit, which began on Monday and ends on 29 January 2018.
“The retention of girls and women’s education to quality deliverables has become a non-negotiable quest for all education actors and for all AU Member States,” said the AU’s Human Resources Science and Technology (HRST) Commissioner, Sarah Anyang Agbor, who participated in the dialogue.
Agbor underscored the importance of education in contributing to the AU’s vision of Agenda 2063: a peaceful, integrated and prosperous Africa, driven by its own competent and skilled citizens.
She said member States have made commitments to make sure Agenda 2063 is realised.
“In our common efforts to reach the outcome and accomplish development goals, we have made commitments for the urgent implementation of adopted frameworks and decisions related to gender equality in education systems,” Agbor said.
She urged member States to advocate for political commitment and support in their respective countries for investment in the education of girls and women.
Agbor recommended a continental review in quality learning and high rates of retention of girls and young women in STEM.
The high level dialogue was in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa as well as AU partners. – SAnews.gov.za
