Powered Up and Powering Through

What have we been up to?

Asia and the Pacific SRGBV Symposium

The Asia Pacific Learning Symposium organised by the Global Working Group to end School-related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) was held in Bangkok from 26th to 28th April 2023. Its aim was to provide a learning platform for various youth advocates, education policymakers, government representatives and civil society organizations to discuss both, challenges and strategies to tackle SRGBV specifically in the Asia-Pacific region. Not only were TE young feminist activists part of the organising team for the symposium, but they also spoke on and moderated multiple panels, highlighting the need for feminist principles, youth leadership and gender transformative education to be an integral part of fighting SRGBV. 

Participants, AP SRGBV Symposium

UN ECOSOC Youth Forum

UNECOSOC Youth forum was hosted in April at the UN HQ. It was an opportunity for youth leaders to engage in conversation with Member States or other actors on how to transform the world into a fairer, greener and more sustainable place guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the first day of the Youth Forum, TE Feminist Leadership in Education Co-Lead, Alejandra participated as a panelist in a South-South Intergenerational Dialogue to promote partnership in innovative education. She had the honor to represent Mexico in her contributions. Major takeaways include the need for resources, co-creation, mentorship and context-specific support. 

From left, Francesc Pédro: Director of UNESCO IESALC, Eugene Gato Nsengamungu: Founder of Rwanda Youth Technology Informants, , Alejandra Ramos Gomez: Co-Lead Feminist Leadership in Education Working Group (TE), Giulia Barāo: Consultant, UNESCO, Bosen Lily Liu: UNESCO Lead on Young People Transforming Education

Intergenerational Mentorship and Dialogue

Education Transformers got an opportunity to meet with Director of UNGEI, Antara Ganguli, to discuss their work and ways in which they create and experience joy in their advocacy.

From Left: Antara Ganguli: Director of UNGEI, Armel Sly-vania: Co-Lead STEM Working Group (TE), Alejandra Ramos Gomez:Co-Lead Feminist Leadership in Education Working Group (TE), Arissa Roy: Member, TE, Yande Banda: Co Chair, TE, Front, Nhial Deng: Member, TE

CommuniTE Teach In Learning Series

At TE, we value the ability to create a safe and brave space to facilitate learning and development as we are leading change in our own communities. To ensure that we are advocating effectively, we curate learning and development strategies to support our needs and areas of interest.

Over the last month, Education Transformers gathered biweekly to build on their existing knowledge as young feminist activists working to advance gender transformative education in their respective communities. This series, inspired by our recently concluded pilot of the Transforming Education in Crisis CommuniTE Teach Ins (funded and supported by the Secondary Education Working Group) addresses:

• Feminist leadership and feminist principles
• Feminist advocacy and campaigning
• Gender transformative education
• Self and Collective Care 

Each session is led by a young feminist activist as peer-to-peer learning is effective to convey ideas and increase relatability.

Upcoming Events and Activations

Join us for an Instagram Live hosted by the ATHENA Network on May 25th, 4pm EAT in celebration of Menstrual Health Day

Education in Emergencies: Data and Evidence Summit, June, Geneva

The EiE Data & Evidence Summit will convene policy makers, ministries of education, data technical experts, researchers, practitioners, and donors to collectively strengthen the EiE data and evidence ecosystem as a key component of ensuring that crisis-affected populations have access to quality, inclusive, equitable, and safe education. 
Register by 29 May to join in Geneva or online here. 

Women Deliver 2023 Conference: Spaces, Solidarity and Solutions

WD2023 will take place in-person in Kigali, Rwanda, as well as virtually, from 17-20 July 2023. As one of the largest multi-sectoral convenings to advance gender equality, WD2023 will convene 6,000 people in Kigali and 200,000+ people online through the virtual Conference and six-month Global Dialogue leading up to the Conference. 

Several TE Members will be in attendance at #WD2023, will you?

Resources

Join the global movement to end period poverty. Check out the social media toolkit by Menstrual Hygiene Day here.

• Sustaining our Feminist Movements Through Collective Care: Developed by the Global Resilience Fund, this resource outlines ways in which we can practice self and collective care as feminist activists.
• Ensuring all children are safe to learn in East Asia and Pacific Outcome report: This session was co-hosted by SEAMEO, UNICEF EAPRO, UNESCO Bangkok and Safe to Learn at the Virtual Regional Conference to Strengthen Implementation of the INSPIRE Strategies in East Asia and the Pacific 
• Global Guidance on School Related Gender Based Violence: This guidance aims to provide a comprehensive, one-stop resource on SRGBV, including clear, knowledge-based operational guidance, diverse case studies drawn from examples of promising practice and recommended tools for the education sector and its partners working to eliminate gender-based violence.

Looking for donors to fund your projects?

Check this out: CIVICUS Donor Finder

Book Recommendation

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts: is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body, and introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide (via Goodreads).

Image courtesy Resmaa Menakem

Finding strength and motivation in our communities is how we continue to fight against patriarchal norms. Thank you for sustaining us.