Newly elected President of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) Ms Camilla Croso has written to all GCE members regarding the critical issue of gender equality in all aspects of education, marking the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day in 2011 (held on 8th March). Ensuring gender equality in education will contribute to interventions to tackle child labour by supporting girls’ education, overcoming discrimination and ensuring enhanced social equality.

The letter includes a statement by the GCE Board on Gender and Education issued in support of the 2011 Global Action Week for Education For All (GAW), 2-8 May 2011. The letter is reproduced in its entirety below for the benefit of Global March members and partners, including the statement for download. Global March urges all members and partners to lend their full support to GAW in any and all ways possible and to use the contents of the GCE statement in these efforts.

For full details of GAW and useful resource materials, click here

“Dear GCE Members,

2011 marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, a milestone in the struggle for the realization of women’s rights worldwide. This year´s Global Action Week for Education For All (EFA) is strategically placed to issues a clarion call for urgent political action to achieve gender equality in andthrough public education. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), ratified by 174 countries, obliged States to ‘adopt the necessary measures to change socio cultural behavior of men and women so as to eliminate discrimination and the perception of hierarchy between men and women (male superiority) as well as all gender stereotypes’. Nevertheless,gender discrimination and gender inequalities still prevail in our world, within the education system and beyond. Recognising the problem to its full extent, its causes and its consequences, is crucial for its overcoming. We conceive that schools must be privileged spaces to foster human rights and dignity, promoting the overcoming of all forms of discrimination.

In name of GCE´s Board, I am happy to share with you a Statement on Gender and Education that puts forward key issues, messages and policy recommendations, in light of overcoming gender inequalities and of furthering social justice. We wish you success in the forthcoming Global Action Week, certain that our collective efforts will be important in advancing the changes we seek to achieve.

Warm regards,

Camilla Croso
President
Global Campaign for Education”

To download the GCE Statement on Gender and Education, click here