GCI Alliance Annual Board Meeting, Dakar 2022
From 29 - 31 March 2022, members of the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) Alliance gathered in Dakar for the Annual Board Meeting. The meeting brought together around 80 GCI Alliance members, spanning international organizations, multilateral and bilateral organizations, civil society, and Ministry of Education (MoE) officials from the eight GCI partner countries. Strategic partners were also invited to participate in the GCI Partners Day, which took place on March 31.
On Day 1, Ministries of Education shared country experiences in gender-responsive education sector planning, as well as results that were achieved in 2021 through GCI. The GCI CSO Consortium also shared lessons learnt in advocating and raising awareness on gender equality in education. For example, FAWE highlighted that Gender Responsive Educational Sector Planning (GRESP) workshops have been fundamental for building the capacity of their members.
On Day 2, UNGEI and IIEP-UNESCO presented key GCI achievements from 2021 and highlights from the 2022 work plan. The activities planned for 2022 include country-specific support, capacity building & training, research projects on barriers to implementing gender equality in education systems, Transformative Leadership courses for MoEs, and gender analysis. In addition, Ministries of Education, Donor and Technical Partner constituencies were given the floor to discuss their priorities for 2022 and 2023 and its alignment with the GCI work plan. For instance, GIZ would like to see how GCI connects to the question of insecurity and peace in GCI partner countries and GPE recognised the importance of ensuring that GCI is better embedded in GPE activities.
On Day 3, Alliance members reflected on the successes and challenges experienced through the GCI so far, and opportunities to strengthen future phases of the Initiative. External partners and stakeholders were also invited to share innovative approaches to promoting gender equality in and through education, and explore potential financial and technical partnerships for the development of future phases of the Initiative.
The Board Meeting provided an opportunity for GCI Alliance Members and Partners to discuss the results achieved by GCI in 2021, identify and share priorities for 2022 and 2023, and reflect on how to strengthen the GCI partnership. The meeting offered stakeholders the platform to discuss strategic directions for the future of GCI, beyond 2023, in addition to visibility and support for the GCI at national, regional and global levels.