Gender at the Center Initiative (GCI)

  • A Advocacy Campaign/Project

A Active

Key Information

The Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) applies a whole-system approach to gender-transformative education, bringing together ministries of education, civil society, technical experts and young feminists. The Initiative, led by the GCI Alliance, partners with African countries to strengthen technical gender capacity, foster political will and support the transformation of harmful gender norms.

Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

Activity URL

https://www.ungei.org/what-we-do/gci

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2019 -

Partner(s)

European Union, Government of France, Government of Germany, Government, of Italy, Government of the United Kingdom, African Union - International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU-CIEFFA)

Ministry Affiliation

Partnered with Ministries of Education for all the program countries, including 1. Sierra Leone's Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, 2. Burkina Faso Ministry of National Education, Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages, 3. Niger Ministry of National Education & Ministry of Women’s Promotion and Child Protection

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary completion
  • Secondary completion

Quality

  • School facilities
  • School quality
  • School-related gender-based violence

Cross-cutting areas

  • COVID-19 Response
  • Early/child marriage
  • Empowerment
  • Food/water security
  • Gender equality
  • Masculinities/boys
  • Menstrual hygiene management
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs
  • WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene)

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Community leaders, Policymakers

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

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

Other populations reached

  • Boys (both in school and out of school)
  • Girls (both in school and out of school)
  • Youth

Participants include

  • Displaced/refugee - Internal (from other areas of the same country)
  • Other

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement
  • Technical assistance/capacity building to civil society organizations or governments

Curriculum/learning

  • Gender-sensitive curricula

Increased availability of learning materials

  • Educational Radio or Television Programs

Life skills education

  • Sexual and reproductive health (including puberty education)

School-related gender-based violence

  • Safe and welcoming schools

Social/gender norms change

  • Work with community leaders

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Curricula, teaching and learning materials are free of gender-bias and stereotypes
  • Education sector plans, budgets, policies, and data systems are more gender-equitable
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved sexual and reproductive health
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced child marriage
  • Reduced school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV)