Nairobi Hosts Africa Regional Workshop on Gender Transformative Education

August 26th 2025

Nairobi Kenya 

In Summary

The Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) has convened its Africa Regional Action Workshop in Nairobi, bringing together more than 50 leaders, policymakers, activists, and education experts for a two-day forum dedicated to advancing gender equality through education across the continent.

ALSO READ: Half of Nairobi Residents Living with Trauma: Landmark Study Exposes Silent PTSD Crisis

The workshop comes at a pivotal time 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” highlights education as a tool for reparations, dignity restoration, and social transformation. The Nairobi meeting is also building on outcomes from the Beijing+30 review, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), and platforms such as the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC).

ALSO READ: Youth Suicide Prevention Forum Calls for Collective Action

Launched in 2022, FEMNET4GTE is now a thriving intergenerational network of more than 210 organizations, governments, researchers, and advocates committed to dismantling structural barriers within education. Its convenings provide spaces for solidarity, knowledge sharing, and co-creation of strategies to ensure schools become engines of equality and justice.

Speaking at the opening session, Ms. Lydia Madyirapanzi, Executive Director of FAWE Zimbabwe, underlined the urgency of the agenda.

“Education is a tool for reparative justice, and we must ensure that its content, pedagogy, and environment challenge gender norms and drive transformation. This requires valuing intergenerational leadership, placing young feminist activists at decision-making tables, and addressing the intersections of gender with disability, displacement, poverty, and crises. Without adequate financing, gender transformative education remains a promise unfulfilled. We must advocate for sustainable investments and interrogate how Africa uses its resources, for Africa.”

ALSO READ: Women’s Collective Kenya Calls for Urgent Reforms on International Safe Abortion Day

The scale of the challenge is stark. According to FEMNET4GTE, 122 million girls worldwide remain out of school. One in five faces early or forced marriage, 138 million children are engaged in child labour, and every four minutes, a child dies as a result of violence. Yet, at the same time, international funding for gender equality and girls’ education is on the decline.

Alinafe Malonje, FEMNET4GTE Community Coordinator, stressed the transformative power of classrooms:

“Children are not born believing boys are superior to girls — division and inequality are taught. Through education, we can unteach these beliefs and build a world grounded in justice. Classrooms must be safe spaces of transformation, where children feel valued, supported, and encouraged to thrive.”

The workshop’s objectives include aligning continental and national education strategies ; such as CESA 2026–2035 and CTVET: with gender-transformative approaches. Delegates are also working to develop national action plans, amplify feminist and youth voices in policymaking, and promote intergenerational dialogue through youth-led sessions and policy roundtables.

ALSO READ: Kenyan Media Vows Zero Tolerance as Harassment Crisis Deepens

Organizers acknowledged the contributions of partners including Oxfam, Plan International, Usawa Agenda, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), and the African Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA). They also recognized the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) for its ongoing support.

Ms. Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, FAWE Africa’s Deputy Executive Director and Head of Programmes, welcomed participants and reaffirmed the co-lead organization’s role:

“As co-leads, we are honored to host this workshop in Nairobi. Since the network’s inception, FAWE has championed gender transformative education as a lever for justice and social change. We gather at a time when education is recognized as a form of reparation and a tool for disrupting cycles of inequality. This convening will help influence continental frameworks and strengthen national action plans to ensure no learner is left behind.”

Ms. Omondi-Adeitan further emphasized that keeping children in school is more cost-effective than bringing them back after dropout:

“When young people feel safe, valued, and supported to know their rights, they are less likely to drop out, more likely to delay early marriage, acquire skills, and pursue livelihoods that transform their lives and communities.”

The Nairobi workshop also marks FEMNET4GTE’s continued expansion. What began in 2022 as a small coalition during the Transforming Education Summit in New York has grown into a global network hosting annual regional gatherings. Alongside Nairobi, similar workshops are taking place this month in Paphos and Bangkok, with another scheduled in Latin America. Outcomes from these regional dialogues will inform FEMNET4GTE’s global convening on September 20, as well as its advocacy on the post-2030 development agenda.

As discussions continue, participants expressed optimism that the outcomes would not only strengthen Africa’s education agenda but also contribute to a broader global movement for justice, equality, and social transformation through gender transformative education.