By Michael Gwarisa
The GEAR (Girls Education Advocacy in the Region) project, an initiative aimed at enhancing access to quality education, has made significant progress in advancing quality education for girls in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
Valued at US$828 000, the project is a collaborative effort among four organizations from Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, termed the GEAR Alliance coordinated by SAYWHAT with support from Education Out Loud.
Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, PraiseGod Masunga, the SAYWHAT Regional Coordinator said the primary goal of the project is to contribute towards the strengthening of education systems in SADC to allow for equitable access to education for girls and young women in rural areas and farming communities.
Despite being signatories to progressive education frameworks at the SADC, AU, and UN levels, these nations face challenges related to domestic funding, curriculum, and infrastructural facilities for education,” said Masunga.
“Through the strengthened capacities of CSOs in educational advocacy, the GEAR Alliance members have been able to effectively engage in advocacy work at national, regional, and international levels. This has led to their active participation in relevant platforms, influencing the review of educational frameworks and policies.”
He added that the recruitment of boundary partners by the GEAR Alliance, for instance, FACET in Zimbabwe recruited five boundary partners that have been crucial in amplifying the voices of marginalized groups.
“These boundary partners, working with community-based organizations, have represented the diverse voices of subpopulations within girls and young women, including those with disabilities, living with HIV, and teen mothers. By bringing these voices into the national space, the alliance has ensured that the specific needs and challenges faced by these marginalized communities are considered in the advocacy efforts.”
The alliance members have also actively participated in platforms conducting pre- and post-budget analysis, which has resulted in increased educational financing by governments.
“For instance, the National Action for Quality Education (NAQEZ) in Zambia, as part of the national coordinating committee on SDGs, to strengthen collaboration and learning contributions to the High-Level Political Forum. Such engagements have created opportunities for CSOs to gather information and contribute to the development of shadow reports for upcoming high-level meetings,” added Masunnga.
Meanwhile, the participation and contribution of the GEAR Alliance in these spaces has also led to an increase in funding towards the Zambian education sector, with the budget allocation rising from 13.9% to 15.4% in 2024. This increase has facilitated the provision of additional school grants and the recruitment of 4200 teachers in the coming year. Furthermore, the budget has allocated more resources to the School Feeding Program, increasing funding from K34 million to K111 million, thereby enabling children from vulnerable homes to access education.
In Zimbabwe, the GEAR Alliance has made significant strides in advocacy which has seen the government channelling more resources towards education. The budget allocation for education increased from 14.2% in 2023 to 17.7% in 2024, although it falls slightly short of the agreed-upon target of 20% set in the Dakar Declaration of 2000. In Malawi, the alliance actively participated in consultative meetings for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to review and validate the disability bill. During these meetings, the alliance delivered a compelling presentation on the need to include issues of community-based rehabilitation in the disability law.
In December 2023, the Malawi Parliament passed the Persons with Disabilities Bill, aimed at promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. This new legislation consolidates the Handicapped Persons Act of 1972 and the Disability Act of 2012, and it will help persons with disabilities to have better access to healthcare, education, and other essential services necessary for their well-being. Furthermore, the alliance has strengthened education platforms and made significant contributions to platforms such as the National Education Technical Working Group in Malawi.
“Additionally, the project has utilized social media platforms to raise awareness of SDG 4 and encourage young girls, especially young mothers, who have dropped out of school to return and pursue their education. This initiative, linked to the SAYWHAT call center, has resulted in an increased number of calls from the target group seeking support and information. Referrals have been made to the relevant Department of Social Services to ensure financial support and inclusion in government-funded assistance programs. As a result, more than 20 young women and girls in the Mazowe rural community in Zimbabwe, where FACET operates, have confirmed their return to school since mid-2022,” said Masunga.
The GEAR Alliance has also recognized education champions, 30 education champions were recruited. In Zambia education champions such as the Member of Parliament for Iteghi teghi constituency, have played a crucial role in advocating for quality education. These champions have dedicated their time, resources, and influence to address infrastructure issues and combat early marriages, thereby empowering young girls and improving their educational opportunities.
Even though the project was an advocacy initiative and did not have direct primary beneficiaries, it monitored the proportion of girls in primary and secondary schools compared to their male counterparts which stood at 50:50 at both levels.
However, some challenges have been noted in the implementation of the project. These include limited CSO coordination and effective participation in Education Framework Reviews: Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were not actively participating in education framework review processes at regional and international levels. There was limited engagement of CSOs in compiling progress reports on the implementation of education rights frameworks. Additionally, CSOs had limited representation of youth-focused organizations, which hindered their ability to advocate for the rights of marginalized communities, including girls and young women in rural and farming communities.
“We also noted the limited inter-ministerial and CSO collaborations at the country level: Although there are progressive education frameworks in the three countries, CSOs lacked coordination in holding the government accountable for delivering education to girls and young women in rural and farming communities. The challenge stemmed from the absence of effective collaboration between different ministries and government agencies responsible for education, gender equity, and equality programs. Gender initiatives primarily focused on gender-based violence and did not adequately address other interlinked issues such as access to education, health, and economic rights.”
Issues of Inadequate domestic funding for the education sector were also noted: The education sector in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe faced the challenge of inadequate domestic funding. Governments contributed an average of 56%, families contributed 29%, and international development partners contributed 15% to the education sector. This financial burden disproportionately affected rural households, who often survive on less than USD 1 per day. Insufficient education financing resulted in poor infrastructure, shortage of education materials, lack of qualified teachers, and difficulty in meeting curriculum requirements.
“Socio-economic barriers hindering girls’ access to education remains a challenge. Girls and young women in rural and farming communities faced socio-economic and cultural barriers to education.”
