Covid-19 has aggravated HIV infection, teenage pregnancy, sexual violence and gender-based violence for adolescent girls and young women.
In response to addressing these issues, the Department of Basic Education together with five UN agencies – UN Programme on HIV/Aids (Unaids), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women launched the Education Plus (EPI) Initiative today (Thurs) to enable girls to thrive, be safe and empowered.
According to the department, the EPI is a high-profile, high-level political advocacy drive to accelerate actions and investments to prevent HIV. This initiative provides an opportunity for the government to reaffirm its commitment to creating an environment in which young girls can reach their full potential using the education system as an entry point to provide a holistic “plus” package of essential elements that adolescent girls and young women need as they become adults.
The elements of this initiative include comprehensive sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, including HIV prevention, freedom from gender-based violence, and economic empowerment through school-to-work transitions. The EPI seeks to advocate for gender-responsive reforms in policies, laws, and practices to guarantee the education, health, and other social and economic rights of adolescents and young people.
Deputy Minister of Basic Education Dr Reginah Mhaule commended the five UN agencies for partnering with the department’s gender transformational agenda.
“UN Family is clearly sharing with the department’s gender transformational agenda. The work that we do together intends to respond to the needs of adolescent girls and young women to enjoy the full benefit of education as the key for unlocking the potential emancipation from structural drivers of HIV infection; early and unintended pregnancy; and gender-based violence and femicide. While all young people are deemed vulnerable, the prevailing gender inequality in our society places adolescent girls and young women at greater risk of HIV and GBV, ” she said.
She further stated this initiative responds to the urgency required to effectively address the alarming numbers of adolescent girls and young women impacted by these issues, which affect their survival, well-being, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Intent of the initiative:
- To ensure that we unite the comparative advantages and contributions of the UN agencies and their vast network of partners, joined up around one shared vision and ambitious objective for high impact advocacy and mobilisation.
- To ensure that primary schooling is accessible and welcoming to all children, irrespective of sexual and gender identity, circumstances, character and background so that our schools become socially cohesive and inclusive in preparation for a seamless transition to secondary education.
- Intent to ensure that this launch helps us to reach the desires and objectives for the rights, dignity, realisation and completion of secondary schooling for all children, especially adolescent girls and young women.
“I wish to call upon all other stakeholders to join this initiative and in our collective efforts; and make this ambitious initiative a reality. On behalf of the Department of Basic Education, I wish to accept the support we are receiving from the UN Agencies and further declare our commitment to collaborate and co-operate with you for the greater benefit of the child,” Mhaule concluded.
IOL