Africa has made tremendous progress in advancing access to education for girls and women, however, the continent continues to face challenges and barriers that hinder the realization of women's right to education. The existing barriers include, among others, child marriage and early unintended pregnancies, violence against women and girls, poverty, inadequate and unsafe learning environments and infrastructure such as lack of sanitation, as well as harmful gender stereotypes.
While these barriers persist, continental instruments and frameworks such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol, the African Youth Charter, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child guarantee the right to education for women and girls, recognizing the significant barriers to access and quality in Africa.
July 31st of each year marks the commemoration of the Pan-African Women's Day (PAWD) and the anniversary of the Pan-African Women's Organization (PAWO), the Specialized Agency of the African Union with a mandate to advance gender equality and women's empowerment. Pan-African Women's Day serves as an opportunity to celebrate and remember the contributions of African women in the liberation of Africa from colonialism and apartheid and to recognize the critical role that women continue to play in the socio-economic transformation of the continent. This year's commemoration of Pan-African Women's Day and the 62nd Anniversary of PAWO focuses on education and will be commemorated under the theme "Invest in Education: Securing the Future of Women and Girls in Africa." The theme, aligned to the African Union's theme of the year on education, recognizes education as a catalyst for women and girls' empowerment, laying the foundation for a sustainable future for all African women and girls.
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To mark Pan-African Women's Day 2024, the African Union Commission's Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate in collaboration with PAWO will organize a commemorative event in Windhoek, Namibia on August 3rd 2024. Acknowledging education's profound impact on women and girls' economic empowerment, health and well-being, and leadership development, the celebration of Pan-African Women's Day 2024 will seek to:
- Celebrate the strides made by countries in advancing women's rights to education.
- Galvanize investments and support to improve infrastructure, teachers' training and foundational learning.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and exchange of innovative and best practices to enhance education outcomes for women and girls in Africa.
- Celebrate PAWO's perseverance.
