Teachers' Actions for Girls (TAG)

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

The overall purpose of the TAG program is to contribute toward the education of the girl-child by empowering teachers with knowledge, skills, and values to become lead actors in creating gender responsive school environments. When the program was designed in 2003, it went far beyond discussing relations between boys and girls, which was the norm at that time. It introduced a girl-focused approach designed specifically to advance girls’ education and to challenge the impediments to girls’ success at school. Because Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) represents teachers, the perspective inherent in TAG is a teacher’s perspective. It asserts that teachers have agency and as such are potential agents of change at the very centre of the learning process, which occurs in the pedagogical relationship between the child and the teacher. The TAG project reflects this assumption in its name: “Teachers’ Action for Girls.” The project focuses on teachers inspiring and empowering other teachers to take action on behalf of the girl-child. Through the TAG approach, girls’ safety and equal opportunity at school is treated as a teacher’s professional responsibility and the TAG workshop provides teachers with important understanding, skills, and resources that not only improve girls’ experiences at school, but also teachers’ efficacy and success in the classroom.


Lead Implementing Government(s)

Uganda

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Uganda

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2003 -

Partner(s)

Canadian Teachers' Federation

Ministry Affiliation

Ministry of Education

COVID-19 Response

Not changed

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Other skills

  • Life skills/sexuality education
  • Social and emotional learning

Quality

  • School-related gender-based violence
  • Teacher training

Cross-cutting areas

  • Gender equality
  • Menstrual hygiene management
  • Mentorship
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health
  • Other cultural practices
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs
  • Violence (at home, in relationships)

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls in school, Teachers - female, Teachers - male, Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Boys in school
  • Parent-teacher associations/school management committees
  • School administrators

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • Community mobilization

Curriculum/learning

  • Gender-sensitive curricula

Health and childcare services

  • Adolescent-friendly health services

Menstrual hygiene management

  • Educating girls about menstruation

School-related gender-based violence

  • Training of school personnel (including teachers)

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy

Women's empowerment programs

  • Advocacy/action

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved critical thinking
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Reduced absenteeism

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved critical consciousness
  • Improved mental health
  • Improved sexual and reproductive health
  • Improved understanding of sexual harassment, coercion, and consent
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • More equal power in relationships
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV)