Feminist Network Workshop to Drive Collective Action on Gender Transformative Education in Africa

The Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) has today convened its Africa Regional Action Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

The two-day workshop brought together over 50 leaders, policymakers, activists, and education experts to chart bold strategies for advancing gender equality in and through education across the continent.

FEMNET4GTE is a vibrant, intergenerational movement of more than 210 organizations, governments, researchers, and advocates working to dismantle structural barriers in education and ensure that schools across the globe become engines of gender equality and justice. Since 2022, the network has hosted annual convenings to strengthen solidarity, share learning, and co-create strategies for transformative change.

“Education is a tool for reparative justice, and we must ensure that its content, pedagogy, and environment truly challenge gender norms and drive transformation. This means valuing intergenerational leadership and ensuring young feminist activists are co-leaders at the decision-making table. It also requires addressing how gender intersects with disability, displacement, poverty, and crisis contexts, so that no learner is left behind. And critically, without adequate financing, gender transformative education remains a promise unfulfilled—we must not only advocate for sustainable investments, but also interrogate how we use our resources in Africa, for Africa.” Said Ms. Lydia Madyirapanzi, Executive Director, FAWE Zimbabwe.

This year’s Africa Regional Action Workshop comes at a pivotal moment as the African Union’s 2025 Theme of the Year – “Building a united front to advance the cause of justice and payment of reparations to Africans” – underscores education as a critical tool for reparation, dignity restoration, and social transformation.

The workshop will also build on the outcomes of the Beijing+30 review and key continental platforms including CESA Strategy meetings and the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC).

“We are deeply grateful to FAWE, Oxfam, Plan International, Usawa Agenda, GCE, ANCEFA, and all members of the organizing committee for their leadership and commitment to gender-transformative education, and to each of you for making the time to be here. Yet, we cannot ignore the stark realities—122 million girls are out of school, one in five faces early or forced marriage, 138 million children are in child labour, and every four minutes, a child is lost to violence. At the same time, international funding for gender equality, girls’ education, and women’s rights is declining, while hate and division are on the rise. Too many boys are growing up believing they are superior to girls, and tragically, many girls believe it too. But children are not born this way—division is taught. And together, through education, we can unteach it and build a world grounded in equality and justice.” Said Ms. Alinafe Malonje, Community Coordinator for FEMNET4GTE.

The objectives of the workshop are centered on advancing gender equality in and through education by strengthening regional advocacy and policy influence through the alignment of national and continental education strategies, including CESA 2026–2035 and CTVET, with gender-transformative approaches. The convening also seeks to support the development of national action plans, drawing from FEMNET4GTE insights and best practices to ensure sustainable and impactful change. In addition, it will amplify feminist and youth voices in policymaking by creating space for intergenerational dialogue, policy roundtables, and youth-led sessions. Ultimately, the workshop aims to foster a sustained community of practice by building solidarity and collaboration among governments, civil society, academia, and grassroots

Outcomes from the Africa Regional Workshop will feed directly into global advocacy efforts, including FEMNET4GTE’s presence at the UN General Assembly later this year and upcoming all-network convenings. The ultimate aim is to ensure that gender equality in and through education is firmly embedded in the post-2030 global development agenda.