Global

Did you know that the power of computers has been doubling roughly every two years since the 1960s? Every day it seems there’s a new app or piece of tech that unlocks new and efficient ways to do things; to better engage with the world, or with learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the longstanding gender digital divide. Even though…

Despite the transformative role preprimary education can play in addressing gender inequalities and challenging common gender norms and stereotypes while they are being acquired by the youngest learners, boys and girls continue to have different classroom experiences. Gender biases and stereotypes are frequently reproduced in teacher-student…

Adolescent girls around the world are speaking up and leading change toward a more gender equal world. But while girls stand ready to help shape our collective future, a myriad of concurrent and interlinked crises and barriers stand in their way. As the global community looks to “build back equal,” we have a unique opportunity to overcome these…

NEW YORK, 19 September 2022 - "Excellencies, colleagues,  "I am very glad to join you today to present the Call to Action on Advancing Gender Equality and Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment in and through Education.   "I want to start by acknowledging our partners for this event, France, Nigeria, and Yemen, as well as UNESCO, the UN Girls’ Education…

There are more than 600 million adolescent girls in the world today — equipped with the right resources and opportunities, they will be the largest cohort of female leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and change-makers the world has ever seen. They have also shown tremendous courage, strength, and resilience during unprecedented challenges, from…, Resources, Adolescent education and skills-development Giving Girls the Right Skills for the Job Global Forum for Children and Youth CY21 community session on girl-centered solutions Girls in Tech A new era for girls Taking stock on 25 years of progress for girls Harnessing the power of data for girls: Taking stock and looking ahead to 2030 Tech Trailblazers…, UNICEF’s Response, UNICEF, through the Skills4Girls Portfolio, is currently working with and for girls in more than 20 countries to bridge the gap between the skills girls need to be competitive in the 21st century workforce, versus those they have traditionally had access to. Skills4Girls has impacted more than 5.8 million girls since 2019. The aim is to reach 11.5…

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already facing a learning crisis: over 260 million children had never set foot in a classroom, and those in school did not necessarily learn and acquire necessary skills. Recognizing the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized children, UNICEF scaled up interventions focused on…, 43 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries have equitable education systems 52 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries had national school-related gender-based violence prevention and response mechanisms  UNICEF worked closely with its partners in 2021 to limit the negative impacts of the pandemic on children’s education and well-being. Despite the…, girl-in-classroom Improving learning outcomes, 48 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries have effective education systems for learning outcomes 61 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries have effective early childhood education systems for learning outcomes 45 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries have a gender-responsive teaching and learning education system During school closures due to the…, girl-in-classroom Skills development , 33 million children participated in skills development programmes   28 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries have systems that institutionalize gender-equitable skills    45 per cent of UNICEF-supported countries are mainstreaming skills development within national education and training systems   In 2021, UNICEF’s chief focus was to continue to…, portrait-two-smiling-girls Looking forward, Accelerating education recovery and transformation "RAPID-ly" Now is the time for accelerating education recovery and transformative action to ensure that every child (particularly the most marginalized including girls, children with disabilities and children in fragile contexts) is fully supported in the key transitions of their learning journey…, Partner testimonial: Government of Norway, A special thanks to the Government of Norway, the largest contributor to Education thematic funding, for continued support and partnership. Partner testimonial from Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norwegian Minister of International Development: children-making-heart-shape UNICEF/UN0400898/Chuluunbaatar, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions., Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 GOAL AREA 2 Every child learns Cover image: UN0579531 Expression of thanks: UNICEF/UN0475053/Ralaivita Lova, a student at Seraphin school in Madagascar, shows her classmates how to respect social distancing at school. In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt education for millions of children. Despite…

UNICEF through the Skills4Girls Portfolio is currently working with and for girls in 22 countries to bridge the gap between the skills girls need to be competitive in the 21st century workforce, versus those they have traditionally had access to. As one of the five targeted priorities for Girls’ Empowerment in the Gender Action Plan 2022-2025…

Education has massive transformational power. Yet, the potential of education systems to achieve gender equality and equity has not been fully harnessed in any country. Huge progress has been made. Over the 25 years, gender parity in education around the world has skyrocketed. But parity is only a surface measure. Girls are excluded and…

Photography by: Mary Gelman / VII Photo; Reporting by: Fiston Mudacumura; Photo Editor, Text Editor & Producer: Kaley Sweeney, Digitizing savings, “The core of my excitement about technology is how it makes achieving a task easy and fast, and how it makes almost everything about it more beautiful, contained and organized.”  Carine, 21, is a software engineer in Kigali, Rwanda, who designs apps to encourage savings and financial independence. “The core of my excitement about technology is how…, Pioneering gender data capture, Jessica smiles for a conceptual portrait in the Girl Effect Rwanda office. The collage overlay showcases a screen grab from the Technology Enabled Girl Ambassador app. Jessica smiles for a conceptual portrait in the Girl Effect Rwanda office. The collage overlay showcases a screen grab from the Technology Enabled Girl Ambassador app. "Technology…

Photography by: Mary Gelman / VII Photo; Reporting by: Constantin Gouvy; Photo Editor, Text Editor & Producer: Kaley Sweeney, Shattering gender stereotypes, "Gendered education might start with toys and clothing, but it also influences the subjects boys and girls go on to study and the careers they pursue,” says Yasmeen.  At only 13, she and her friends are building a website to tackle the negative gender stereotypes that perpetuate the gender digital divide. “Our goal is to provide an online resource…, Dismantling the rural-urban divide, In France, boys and men are more than twice as likely to graduate in STEM subjects than girls and women are, and nearly four times as likely to be employed as Information and Communications Technology (ICT) specialists, according to the European Commission’s 2020 Women in Digital Scoreboard. This gap is particularly visible in rural areas, where…

Photography by: Mary Gelman / VII Photo; Reporting by: Rana Husseini; Photo Editor, Text Editor & Producer: Kaley Sweeney, Advancing computer literacy through WhatsApp, “My idea is to be able to use the digital training I learned in Jordan to invent something that can help people,” says Hala, 15, a Syrian refugee living in Za’atari camp in Jordan.  In 2019, she enrolled in a UNICEF-supported programme to improve her knowledge and proficiencies in computer and mobile applications, and video editing. “My idea is to…, Sharing skills through social media, A collage of Sally in her home in Irbid, Jordan. The overlay showcases her digital skills homework. Sally smiles for a remote portrait in her home in Irbid, Jordan. The overlay showcases her schoolwork on digital skills training. In order to keep pace with a growing workforce, the national economy of Jordan needs to create 66,000 new jobs annually…

Photography by: Mary Gelman / VII Photo; Reporting by: Manuela Parrino; Photo Editor, Text Editor & Producer: Kaley Sweeney, Recoding equity, "Depending on your social class and skin colour, you will face different obstacles. For me, the greatest difficulty was accessing courses and tools,” says Nina, 25. “My mission in making the world better is to teach people the concepts of computing in a more accessible way.”  “My mission in making the world better is to teach people the concepts…, Democratizing science and technology, A collage of Louise, 16, in her home in Salvador, Brazil. The overlay showcases prototype designs for her app, Conecta Elas. A collage of Louise, 16, in her home in Salvador, Brazil. The overlay showcases prototype designs for her app, Conecta Elas. Nearly 1,600 kilometres away in Salvador, Louise, 16, is on a mission: “I’m planning to open an…