CRECCOM rolls out Every Girl in School Campaign
Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM) has rolled out the Every Girl in School (EGIS) Campaign to raise awareness on the importance of education particularly for girls.
Briefing District Executive Committee (DEC) members on Tuesday in Chiradzulu, CRECCOM Project Officer, Lilian Manda, said the programme will run from July to December, 2017.
“The objectives of the programme is to sensitize, motivate, and mobilize community stakeholders in the targeted schools towards supporting improved girls’ education access and to engage community duty bearers and citizenry’s action to demand, fulfill and protect girls’ rights to education by eliminating harmful socio-cultural factors,” she said.
Manda added that among other specific objectives, WFP’s School Meals Program aims at promoting regular attendance, especially for girls and orphans and reduce regular gender disparities in enrollment and dropout rates especially in the upper grades.
According to Manda, the wider gender disparities are prevalent from the upper primary with about 35 percent of girls and 41 percent of boys surviving to Standard 8 which is a clearly obligating call for more action.
She said this is the reason EGIS acknowledges the notable progress made so far towards achieving gender parity in primary education.
Manda said there are contextual factors resulting in negative educational outcomes for girls including: poverty, cultural practices, gender inequality, attitudes and behaviour of boys and men, parents and teachers among others.
Among other things, the project is expected to increase participation of local and school stakeholders in the promotion of girls’ Education, increase number of girls accessing education and empower girls that will want to stay in school and complete their education.
The programme will be implemented in 748 schools in 13 impact districts where the World Food Programme (WFP) School Meals Project is being implemented through the centralized model.
It will be operating in Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Lilongwe, Nsanje Thyolo, Salima and Mangochi among other districts.
