Director of Education Planning in the Ministry of Education, Victoria Geresomo today presided over the launch of Africa Educates Her Campaign in Malawi, an event that took place At Buke Primary School in Balaka District.
The Africa Educates Her Campaign is a vital initiative aimed at ensuring that no girl-child is left behind in terms of education, in line with the Malawi Agenda 2063’s clause of leaving no one behind. The campaign emphasises that merely keeping girls in school is not enough; they must also succeed to become responsible citizens and decision-makers. It highlights the importance of addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which significantly disrupts girls’ education through physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Speaking at the function, the Director of Education Planning said educating the girl-child is the best countries can offer to a generation that would takeover leadership roles from the current generation of leaders.
She emphasised the need for action against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and called for creating safe learning environments.
She noted that girls are often marginalised and face significant barriers to education, particularly those from poor families or rural areas.
“The statistics are stark: girls are four times more likely to be out of school than boys from the same background. This underscores the urgent need for collective efforts to promote girls’ education.
“I urge all stakeholders to sustain support towards girls’ education by harmonising interventions to avoid duplication,” Geresomo said.
She emphasised the need for deliberate policies and strategies to address existing gaps while calling for more research on issues sabotaging girls’ education to inform future actions.
She added that community involvement is vital, particularly in addressing social and cultural norms that hinder girls, such as child marriages.
