Economic Empowerment of Girls Living in Post-conflict Situations through Vocational Education- Burundi, Liberia and Sierra Leone

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Economic Empowerment of Girls Living in
Post-conflict Situations through Vocational
Education-Burundi, Liberia and Sierra Leone

• Codou Diaw
• The Forum for African Women Educationalists
  (FAWE)
• ADEA Biennale
• Maputo
• May, 2008

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Context

• TVET back in full force in education policy
  debates especially as it relates to options for
  expanding access, quality and outcomes of
  Secondary Education.
• Numerous presentations during this meeting
• Many make a convincing case for TVET point to
  the high potential for TVET to empower and reduce
  poverty
• Others point to the benefits of TVET such as a
  skilled and more productive workforce and
• Yet others discuss the challenges associated with
  TVET provision policies -- i.e. equity

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Emerging considerations

• Gender equity in TVET provision
• TVET Provision in conflict situations
• The statistics from the three cases reviewed have
  prompted FAWE to address such issues, especially
  for the high numbers of out-of school girls in
  the 3 countries

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Out-of-School Girls

• Burundi 518,000
• Liberia 142,000 out of a pop of just over 3
  million
• Sierra Leone 431,000 out of 5,6 million
• Total 650,000 girls out of a pop of 8 million
• (UNESCO, 2006)
• Among the over 1 million girls are out of school
  in the 3 countries, many are over-aged and have
  become young mothers without education and formal
  skills.

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Background

• The recognition of the critical situation in
  post-conflict situations has prompted FAWE to put
  an emphasis on the issue of conflict as a serious
  challenge to girls education in its 2008-2012
  Strategic Plan.
• FAWE has therefore embarked on a specific
  intervention to empower girls who have been
  negatively affected by the conflicts in their
  countries.

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• Background (Contd)
• The first intervention in the programme focuses
  on 3 post-conflict countries Burundi, Liberia,
  and Sierra Leone. The objective was to conduct a
  study in two parts
• Part one of the study is to
• Review the state and policies of TVET in SSA
  using a gender lens
• Do a comparative review of gender in TVET
  policies in the 3 countries
• Draw lessons and recommendations for addressing
  the situation through training and policy
  transformation

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Purpose of the Review

• Part two of the study is fieldwork in the three
  countries and is ongoing
• To supplement the data from the policy review
• To inform FAWEs demonstrative TVET project for
  out-of-school girls in 3 countries funded by
  DANIDA
• To provide specific baseline data on TVET in the
  districts targeted by the project to allow FAWE
  to track progress over the life of the 3-year
  intervention

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• Contents of the Review Paper
• First, it summarises recent policy-related
  literature on vocational skills development in
  sub-Saharan Africa, incorporating a gender
  perspective.
• Second, it reviews the existing policy documents
  that address issues of technical and vocational
  education and training (TVET) for girls in
  post-conflict situations.
• Third, it assesses from a gender perspective the
  nature of vocational skills development in
  Burundi, Liberia and Sierra Leone, based on the
  recent literature on TVET in SSA, and on policy
  documents in the three countries.
• Fourth, it makes recommendations that will
  ultimately be used to convince governments in the
  three countries to incorporate gender equity
  concerns in TVET policy reforms and to develop
  female-focused or gender-based TVET programs.

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• What Did the Review Reveal?
• A few major studies stand out (Atchoaren
  Delluc, 2001 Martin, 2002 Oketch 2004 2007,
  2008) AU (2007)
• Very little on TVET in conflict situations in
  Africa
• Even less on the gender dimension in TVET in
  conflict
• (Zukerman Greenberg, 2004)
• Even the AU report (2007), the latest on the
  direction TVET should take in Africa, glosses
  over the gender inequities in TVET provision in
  the continent

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What did the review reveal?

• In all three countries there is official and
  informal TVET provision
• While in Burundi Liberia there is a draft
  policy, there is none in Sierra Leone. Yet TVET
  provision is or structured in all 3
  countries.
• In Liberia, there a clear attempts to include a
  gender dimension but not a clear gender-based
  vision in Burundi Sierra Leone.
• Links have been made between the TVET and
  empowerment but gender-neutral or gender- biased
  approaches hamper targeted provision

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Potential of TVET in reconstruction

• TVETs role in post-conflict reconstruction is
  undeniable, provided that
• It targets fields that are useful in the
  rebuilding process
• It targets the most vulnerable and affected and
  is learner-centered
• It provides ready to use skills in specific
  fields
• It includes peace education and life skills at
  least
• It includes micro-finance schemes to boost
  entrepreneurship
• It has a gender focus that clearly targets
  girls/women

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Gender Analysis framework

• Zukerman and Greenberg (2004) provide a framework
  for gender analysis in post conflict situations.
  Three gender dimensions are identified
• Dimension 1. Women -focused activities
• Dimension 2. Gender-aware programming
• Dimension 3. Transforming gender roles

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Analysis of TVET Policies

• Burundi
• The policy of technical education and
  professional does not overtly promote the
  acquisition of vocational and technical skills
  for girls. In fact, there is no policy of
  education that targets girls specifically
  Implications-
• Dimensions 1-3 are absent.

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• Liberia
• Although data cannot be provided due to the
  on-going analysis of baseline survey, Liberia is
  experiencing more girls enrolment in TVET now.
• This increased enrolment was inspired by the
  President of Liberias pronouncement on the
  reformation of the education system in Liberia,
  with emphasis on TVET in line with the UNs
  emphasis on TVET.
• Started to implement Dimension 1 but 2-3 absent
  in policy.

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• Sierra Leone
• Official TVET provision in Sierra Leone has not
  specifically targeted girls. Nevertheless, girls
  who manage to gain access to SS have the option
  of joining the NVQ. For those who drop out before
  SS, possibilities are minimal.
• Very few programmes during the post-conflict
  period have focused on out-of-school girls and
  young mothers, and these were mostly the
  initiatives of NGOs. Implications Dimensions 1-3
  still absent.

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Critique of Current TVET Policies and Provision

• Gender stereotypes in TVET still prevalent
• Lack of pro-gender policies in TVET
• Many girls are exposed to long-standing societal
  attitudes that perpetuate stereotypes on what
  careers girls should or should not enter
• TVET provision for girls still emphasises their
  caretaker domestic gender roles and provides
  them with few alternatives to date
• The initiative by FAWE is designed to redress
  this situation

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Way forward

• The goal of the FAWE program is to not only
  demonstrate how to empower out-of-school girls
  with a qualifying skills that address girls
  needs and aspirations but to also
• Transform TVET policies and provision to become
  gender-responsive at the national level.
• To achieve that strong partnerships are needed
  with all actors in the area, particularly MOE,
  agencies, CSO, and communities.

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Recommendations

• Implement TVET policies that clearly articulate,
  incorporate, and promote
• Gender responsive policies and programmes that
  target girls/ women specifically
• Emphasize female contributions to the
  reconstruction process beyond their caretaker
  roles through training in traditionally
  male-dominated fields
• Acknowledge the empowerment potential of TVET in
  rebuilding economies and positively transforming
  gender relations in post-conflict countries.