Programmes:

Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education

The United Nation’s Girls Education Initiative’s Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education is an annual convening of feminist changemakers working together to accelerate progress towards gender transformative education around the world. 

This year, the convening was co-hosted by UNGEI, UNICEF and the South African Ministry of Basic Education and delivered in partnership with UN Women, UNAIDS, UNESCO and the South African Development Community.

15 - 17 October 2024, Johannesburg

FemNet4GTE2024 Highlights
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From Parity to Equality

We held the third annual meeting of the Network to advance our goals towards gender equality in and through education for all learners, especially children. Rooted in Regional Feminist Declarations, the 2024 Agenda included strategic sessions on FUNDING, RESEARCH, and ADVOCACY, analyzing the gaps, needs, and opportunities for each of these three crucial areas and mapping the way forward to bring meaningful change.

Participation in the Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education 2024 was both in person and virtual. 

Regional Declarations

This year at FemNet4GTE, we undertook inspiring collective processes led by feminist activists, civil society, experts, researchers and several others, to develop the Regional Declarations for Gender Transformative Education.

The Regional Declarations are central, evidence-based and ambitious calls to action to governments, public and private funders, international organizations and education actors. They outline our regional collectives’ joint actions and commitments to achieve gender equality in and through education. Check them out below.

2024 Agenda

We used the Johannesburg convening to build a strong consensus on the overall goals for gender-transformative education as a Network and prioritize key actions we can take nationally, regionally and globally.

The agenda was rooted in four Regional Feminist Declarations, developed by Network members following consultations which took place earlier this year. 

Read More

2024 Network Attendees

This year we welcomed powerful activists, experts, civil society organizations, governments, donors and multilaterals in Johannesburg and online to discuss, debate and accelerate gender equality in and through education.

Representatives from 60 countries attended, bringing lived experience and on-the-ground expertise from around the world.

View the Attendees

Our Feminist Principles

  1. To strive to be feminist[i] 
  2. To strive to be anti-racist[ii] and anti-colonial[iii] by elevating BIPOC and developing country expertise, knowledge and experience 
  3. To strive to be inter-generational[iv], intentionally sharing power with  younger and older feminists 
  4. To strive to be intersectional[v] (including LGBTQ, disability lenses), recognizing that vulnerability and power often have overlapping layers of discrimination and privilege 
  5. To have fun! Because what is the point of revolution if we cannot dance?[vi] 

Who is part of the Network

Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education Attendees are selected by a Planning Group convened by UNGEI each year.

Attendees are chosen on the basis of their:

  • Commitment to gender-transformative education, girls education programming and/or have expertise in gender equality in education, feminism and education rights and access 
  • Geographic location, with priority given to organisations and individuals based in and/or delivering programming, research or support in global majority countries
  • Lived experience in the issues around feminism and gender equality
  • Commitment to UNGEI’s core values of equality, inclusion, non-discrimination, anti-racism, mutual accountability, decolonisation of development and feminism

Young feminist activists (aged 18-30), national or grassroots CSOs with lived experience of the impact of gender inequality in education and individuals and organisations working at the intersectionality of gender and inclusivity, in particular around disability and education and LGBTQI+ rights are prioritised.


Financial support will made available for a number of selected CSOs and individual activists to attend the in-person event. 

FemNet4GTE in 2023: Building Just and Equal Societies: the Power of Gender Transformative Education

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A Global Gathering

In 2023, the Network brought together 120+ representatives from 50+ countries to meet in Istanbul for a dynamic two-day event. Led by developing country expertise, civil society organizations and young feminist experts constituted the majority of participants. The gathering was intentionally intergenerational, with sponsored places available to ensure that those with the most limited means were able to participate. Every session on the agenda was led by a civil society organization or a young feminist expert working at the forefront of gender equality and education.  

2023 Report

Read more about the outcomes from our 2023 gathering and our pathway for achieving gender transformative education for all learners.

Read the report

2023 Network Members

The 2023 convening saw 120 powerful activists, experts, civil society organizations, governments, donors and multilaterals come together in Istanbul to discuss, debate and accelerate gender equality in and through education.

Representatives from over 50 countries were selected to attend, bringing lived experience and on-the-ground expertise from around the world.

View the Attendees

The FemNet4GTE gathering in Istanbul was an exceptional experience, instilling a profound sense of ownership as we collectively reached agreements on the concept, outcomes, and the path forward.

Feminist Network Member, 2023

Gender Transformative Education E-Learning Course

At FemNet4GTE we launched a new online course to help participants learn how to design and implement gender-transformative programs and initiatives. The course, developed in partnership with Plan International and Transform Education, is a direct response to requests from staff and partners to improve their own knowledge about gender-transformative programming.

 

Take the course

FemNet4GTE Resource Hub