GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS (AGES 10 - 18) FOR AN AIDS-FREE FUTURE

PAPER PRESENTED TO - UNAIDS INTER AGENCY TASK TEAM ON EDUCATION

BY

FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALISTS OF ZAMBIA (FAWEZA)

Executive Director FAWEZA Secretariat P.O. BOX 37695 LUSAKA ZAMBIA

1.0 Situational Analysis of Girls Education in Zambia (Unintended Pregnancies and Re-entry)

In Zambia, the last five years (2009-2013), the schooling system has recorded a total of 76,567 school girls’ pregnancies among children in primary and secondary school levels. About 86% occurred in rural areas among grades 1-9 girls (MESVTEE: ESB, 2013). Early pregnancies start as early as the third grade in primary school. After fifth grade in primary school, this phenomenon becomes an epidemic, and it turns out to be the main reason of school dropout among girls. In absolute numbers, pregnancies in grades 10 to 12 are not as high as grades 1 to 9 but in percentage terms; they are still the main cause of school abandon. The direct cause of unwanted early pregnancies that drive the children out of school are the customary behaviour in relation to gender. About 86% of school girls’ pregnancies occurred in rural areas among the learners in grades 1-9.

Further, despite a decline in girls abseentism during transitioning examinations, the numbers are still alarming for instance; during the 2014 Grade Seven (7) Composite Examinations which are transitioning Examinations from Primary School to Secondary School, a total of 17563 girls were reported absent while in 2013, 20,050 girls were absent compared to 16,637 in 2012. At the Junior Secondary School Leaving (Grade 9) Examinations level, a total of 28,879 girls were absent in 2014; 33,734 in 2013 and 26,693 in 2012. Most of these cases of girls dropping out of school prematurely continue to be attributed to GBV related issues such as; negative cultural orientation that put them at risk of unintended pregnancies, child marriages among other institutional and social and economic factors. In Zambia, there is a tight connection between some customs, harmful traditions and the violence against girls.

Despite the re-entry policy being in existence for close to 18 years, there are still less than 50% girls being re-entered after giving birth (MESVTEE, 2013). In 2011 for example, only 37.5% of the total pregnancies in the schooling system were readmitted. The 2012 Education Statistical Bulletin reported that while the survival rate for grades 1 to 5 girls is good at 96.1%, their survival rates reduces at higher grade levels which stand at 58.95% by grade 9 level (MESVTEE: 2012).Only 31.1%of girls that start primary school finish grade 12. The completion rate for girls remains low at 27.4 % while that of boys stand at 34.7 % largely due to unintended teenage pregnancies, child marriages, poor performance and general lack of education aspiration.

2.0 The Re-entry Policy in Zambia In September 1997, Government announced the Re-Entry Policy by the late Minister of Education, Hon. Syamukayumbu Syamujaye. The aim of the re-entry policy is to give chance to girls who fall pregnant while in school to reclaim their school place and complete their education. In view of this policy, all girls that fell pregnant in 1997 onward were allowed to re-claim their school places. In Zambia, teen mothers are allowed to re-enter twice only. The increase in

unintended pregnancies among adolescents of school going age was the driving force for the Government of the Republic of Zambia to introduce the re-entry policy as evidenced below:

2002 -there were 3,663 teenage pregnancies 2004- the number rose to 6,528, 2007- the figure had risen further to 11,391 2009 -figure was 13,634 in 2009. 2010-2014- just under 15,000 school going teenage pregnancies.

Year No. of Pregnancies No. Re-entered

2009 15,497 6,679

2010 15586 6,067

2011 15,707 6,030

2012 14,849 6,001

2013 14,928 5,829

(Source -MESVTEE Statistical Bulletins)

3.0 FAWE-ZAMBIA- INTERVENTIONS WHICH FACILITATE THE ROLE OF COMMUNITIES IN FACILITATING THE RE-ENTRY OF GIRLS IN EDUCATION

Since 2010, FAWEZA, in collaboration with Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (MESVTEE), has made a long-term commitment to involve the local communities through Community Action Groups (CAGs) in the decision-making processes in schools as they relate to the advancement of the Zambian child in education. This intervention provide practical insights on how community members as stakeholders of the schools in their communities can form a fully functioning and productive group that meets the needs of the school in supporting girls retention, performance and completion in the education sector. The intervention builds the capacities of school community members (Mother and father mentors) through already existing school Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) in ensuring greater and inclusive social participation, accountability and transparent of community members in supporting female participation in education.

FAWEZA enhances the capacity of CAGs in curbing teenage pregnancies, child marriages, facilitating re-entry of teen mothers, monitoring school attendance, and providing psycho social counselling support to girls who are at risk. Community members are also made aware of existing affirmative education and gender policies in order to cascade awareness to other community members in order for them to start claiming these rights within their own local contexts. This intervention further mobilizes communities to rescue girls living in high risk rented lodgings due to distance girls which they have to cover from home to school and provide them with safe lodging (currently there are 120 girls in 6 safe houses). Through this intervention, community involvement has also seen the construction of six girls’ hostels at Jembo, Sanje, Nanga, Solwezi

Technical, and Kyawama Secondary Schools, rehabilitated Kasenga Girls School and currently renting 06 Safe houses for girls.

Girls in the Luanshya Safe House Girls in the Mazabuka Safe House welcome visitors from WVI

Girls in the Livingstone Safe house

The Community members also help in tracking learner absenteeism rates, dropout cases, provides psycho social support parents of teen mothers to reclaim their school places. The overall aim of this intervention is to promote community responsiveness, transparency and accountability in decision making and effective use of resources by duty bearers at school levels. In the period 2013-2014, with funding support from UNICEF, FAWEZA working with Community Action Groups managed to reach out to 51,000 out of school children and retrieved a total of 2900 girls who reclaimed their school places after dropping out among them were also teen mothers in the two provinces of Muchinga and Western.

The above interventions are currently supported by UNICEF, DANIDA and World Vision International in 96 schools across the country.

3.1 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY SCORECARD PROCESSES One of the key interventions that FAWE-Zambia uses is an all-inclusive community participatory approach of identifying drivers of ASRHR using the community score card approach, which enables community members to develop tangible action points and accountability principals for different members of the community in order to start reversing a cluster of sexual and reproduction-related factors which contribute to the rise in teenage pregnancies, factors which

inhibit girls from reclaiming their school places and from participating equitably in education. The score card approach is the preferred approach because it gives immediate results such as; Community members together identify ASRHR issues in their respective community, Solutions, and accountability principals are drawn immediately and with consensus.

The scorecard process enables stakeholders including girls and boys as the key service users and rights holders in education to identify their ASRHR concerns within schools and communities and to raise these with duty-bearers (parents, education officials, Civic and traditional leaders). School community members are given the opportunity to question some of their social/cultural practices from their own lens and assess the performance of their schools/communities in terms of quality of services in preventing teenage pregnancies, SRHR and HIV and AIDs issues. School community members then create a scorecard of key indicators which they then score on a scale of 1-5 including justification and provide possible solutions to mitigating them and post them on school notice boards for the purpose of tracking progress in addressing the identified issues.

Girls at Chilenga primary School present their score card Community Score Card process at Chipata Day School

3.2 COMMUNITY ACTION GROUPS AND CAPACITY BUILDING

FAWEZA trained resource persons undertake capacity building session for Community Action

Groups (CAGs) (Mother and Father Mentors) in essential life skills. The programme builds the

capacity of Community Action Groups members who also play the role of Mother and Father

Mentors from each of the participating schools on publicizing affirmative education policies such

as the Re-entry policy, providing basic psycho-social counseling support to pregnant school girls,

confidence building, monitoring school attendance, and ensuring duty bearers are held

accountable in providing child friendly school environments. CAGS are supported to understand

the needs of marginalised groups (including girls and children with disabilities, in extreme

poverty, affected by HIV and AIDS) and encourage their participation in spaces identified for

children’s contribution to school governance. The programme sensitize and empower Mother

Mentors and the girls so that they are aware of the various policy and legislative provisions

including the re-entry policy and be able to claim these rights within their various contexts. The

mother mentors are also tasked to provide psycho-social counseling and SRH information to in

and out of school girls within their communities.

Community Action Groups meetings facilitated by FAWE-Zambia where Re-entry Policy guidelines are shared

Mother mentors prepare their action plan at Chimpundu School Mother mentors conduct a role play during training

3.3 WHAT IS A COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP

A community Action Group (CAG) is a group of volunteers who represent the composition and

diversity of the local community or communities surrounding the school interested in uplifting

the education of their children and especially girls. Community Action Groups (CAGs) are

responsible for tracking learners who drop out of the schooling system due to pregnancy and

child marriage and persuade parents to return pregnant school girls back to school after giving

birth and raise awareness on affirmative educational policies such as the Re-Entry policy for Teen

mothers and other legal instruments on Child defilements, GBV and child marriages among

others. The Programme also focus on strengthening child protection structures in order to reduce

the number of GBV cases with its offshoots; unintended pregnancies and child marriages at

school and community levels.

3.3 GIRLS SAFE SPACES AND MOTHER MENTORS CLUBS

The intervention focuses on strengthening child protection structures in order to reduce the

number of GBV cases with its offshoots; unintended pregnancies at school level and child

marriages. FAWEZA builds the capacity among school girls (20 per school as peer educators) in

SRHR and Peer Counseling within the Student Alliance for Equality (SAfE) Clubs. Safe Clubs are a

peer support mechanism aimed at cultivating positive gender relations as well as a strategy for

confronting negative gender attitudes, beliefs and practices that perpetuate the disadvantaged

position of girls in the broader society. Given the vulnerability of girls to abuse and exploitation,

SAfE Clubs provide not only education on GBV, HIV /AIDS prevention, care and support, gender,

drug abuse and children’s rights, but also foster acquisition of life skills for young people to

surmount present day challenges. The programme largely works with communities to accelerate

the implementation of the Re-entry policy. This has seen an increase of teen mothers reclaiming

their school places from 4,831 in 2005 to 5,829 in 2013.

FAWEZA uses the safe space concept in the Safe Clubs through which adolescent girls and young

women who are out of school interact with Mother Mentors and are exposed to wider social

networks and collective spaces in which they gather to meet with peers, receive mentoring

support, and acquire skills. Safe spaces are avenues for learning about a spectrum of topics, and

are desirable environments for teaching and learning about SRHR. The safe space environments

act as arenas for girl’s self-expression particularly in settings where females are defined in terms

of their relationships (mother and daughter) rather than as individuals with unique qualities. Safe

spaces in schools or communities offer girls myriad social, economic, educational and

developmental opportunities. The safe spaces contribute significantly, not only to girls acquiring

lifesaving knowledge and social behavioral change communication, but also build girls’ self-

confidence and self-actualization. The programme avails opportunities to girls and mother

mentors to exchange knowledge on sexuality, reproductive health and provide channels through

which they contribute to national efforts to militate social ill in their communities that put

women at risk of GBV, unintended pregnancies and contracting HIV/AIDS.

One such good outcome of this intervention was during the period 2010 to 2013, FAWE-Zambia

successfully conducted a safe space project at Kamulanga Secondary School in one of the slum

areas of Lusaka province and the surrounding communities. The result of this intervention was

that there were no pregnancies recorded amongst the school girls who participated in the

project. The girls gained life skills such as; assertiveness, positivity in life and self-consciousness.

Through the weekly meetings with the mother mentors, girls in the Safe spaces acquired

knowledge and information on various SRHR, substance abuse, GBV and HIV/AIDS. The trainings

built capacity among the girls and the mother mentors that many young people especially girls’

face in pursuit of their education. The girls and mother mentors are also trained in the concept

of Preventive Gender Based Violence Measures, negotiation skills, Psycho-Social Counseling,

Solidarity and Alliance Building and Whistle Blowing.

Girls being mentored by Mother Mentors in Muchinga province

Through the Girls safe spaces, FAWEZA creates an environment where girls and mother

mentors are encouraged to:

acquire knowledge on sexual reproductive health and rights including HIV/AIDS;

form friendships, receive and give peer support, and increase their social networks;

enjoy freedom of expression and movement;

receive mentoring support from trusted adults (mother mentors), who serve as girls’

advocates;

develop new and valued life and livelihood skills ;and

take advantage of new learning and educational opportunities.

3.4 THE ATTITUDE AND CHANGE CHAMPAIGN INTERVENTION (FATHER MENTORS’ AND BOYS

FORUM)

The Attitude and change Campaign focuses on building capacities of father mentors to providing mentorship to school boys (Peer Educators) to redefine masculinity and their relationship with girls and the female folk at large through establishing the “Boys Forum” within the Student Alliance for Equality (SAFE) Clubs. The Intervention improves the Communication/Lobbying and Advocacy skills of the “Change Agents” (Father Mentors and School Boys) in order to better interact with Education Officials at School, District and Provincial levels; Parents, Civic and Traditional Leaders and other relevant institutions with right messages to counter GBV targeting school girls.

These Father Mentors working together with School Boys are mentored in gender equality, positive gender relations, and human rights, GBV and HIV/AIDS through information dissemination, building capacity for them and strengthening their understanding of the interconnectedness between Gender Based Violence and the indivisibility of girls and women’s rights through exposure to the rights based approach. The intervention ensures that boys and men in and out of schools understand GBV, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, the behaviors, attitudes and practices that place women and girls at risk of GBV with its offshoots: teenage unintended pregnancies, child marriages, STI/HIV , girls drop out from the schooling system, and the social context and interrelationship of these factors. The Program addresses values, attitudes, and behaviors in men and boys and provides basic facts about GBV, teenage pregnancy, HIV and AIDs and other STIs. Youth Friendly GBV/ASRHR corners are established in participating schools where GBV/ASRHR IEC materials depicting boys and men as agents of change are shared. This eventually culminates into a boys and men campaign in communities and schools as change agents for attitudes practices and beliefs as they relates to socialization processes, gender power relations and GBV targeting women and girls. In addition, the trained change agents are engaged in facilitated discussions, views and concerns which are documented as the programme gets implanted. The captured issues are used to develop advocacy messages for addressing Gender based violence through Medias such as print, radio and television and policy advocacy platforms.

Among the activities that are implemented include:

Identifying, recruiting and training of the peer mentors (20 boys per school) and father Mentors

(05 per school).

Conducting a 5 days Capacity building of peer mentors and father mentors in team building,

whistle blowing, SRH, GBV, HIV/AIDS, Gender equality basic psycho-social counselling, and

parenting.

Conducting weekly meetings amongst the boys (peer mentors) under the guidance of a male

teacher/father mentors.

Facilitating weekly outreach activities through the “boys Forum” to the communities to sensitize

out of school children and other members of the communities to change negative cultural

practices and share information on issues of SRHR/ HIV/AIDS, and cultivate positive gender

relations and help people in the communities to realize the importance of having educated and

responsible girls and women in the society.

Create an environment where girls and boys are able to express themselves freely, such as inter

school debate sessions, performing arts forums, school assemblies on issues affecting girls

‘equitable participation in education.

4.0 CAUSES OF SCHOOL GIRLS PREGNANCIES IN ZAMBIA 4.1 Unsupervised Weekly Boarding Facilities Following the de boarding policy in the late 1980, most rural girls have challenges in accessing secondary education in Zambia due to distance to and from school. In their persuit of education, most of the rural girls rent some small houses to access their school as evidenced in the picture bellow. In Zambia, rural poverty stands at 60% hence most of these girls become prey to adult males who take advantage of their vulnerability and the girls are forced to engage in illicit sex to sustain their living in these unsupervised weekly boarding facilities.

Girls from Mabumba Secondary school renting a hut without adult supervision

4.2 Direct Cost of Education VS Poverty Poverty levels in Zambia now stand at around 60% yet only 86 830 children at basic school

and 22 959 at secondary school levels are on some kind of scholarship from GRZ and other

Stakeholders to support their direct cost of education. This is against the 621 658 number of

orphans in basic schools and 76 471 are in secondary school.

5.0 CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING THE RE-POLICY IN ZAMBIA

Despite 18years after the Re-entry policy was declared in Zambia, a number of girls who fall

pregnant still shun to go back to school either due Institutional and social/ cultural factors.

5.1 Institutional factors hindering Re-entry

The policy is not fully understood by duty bearers especially at school level and

communities due to lack of orientation.

Policy guidelines are not readily available in schools.

Lack of Institutionalised mechanisms for detecting pregnancies early/counselling

to facilitate re-entry.

Grant aided schools still do not accept to re-enter teen mothers in their schools.

Stigma within the schooling system deters teen mothers from re-enrollment.

5.2 Social/Cultural Factors hindering Re-entry

Lack of support structures- breakdown in extended family structures to support

teen mothers look after baby especially OVC ( In 2012, the schooling system in

Zambia had a total of 698 129 Orphans (Gr.1-12) (MESVTEE -ESB: 2012).

Percentage of orphans is higher at Grades 8-12 levels and there are more girls

who are orphans in schools at 348 576 compared to boys at 345 556 (MESVTEE -

ESB: 2012).

Pregnant girls are sometimes forced to live with boy responsible for pregnancy

for incubation of pregnancy leading to child /early marriages.

Double burden / direct cost of education vs cost of raising baby (formulae).

2014 Community Action Groups Statistics on Re-entry cases

WESTERN PROVINCE

NO NAME OF SCHOOL OUT OF SCHOOL GIRLS RETRIEVED BY CAGS IN 2014 AND RE-ENTERED

COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACHED BY CAGS SENSITIZATIONS ON RE-ENTRY POLICY IN 2014

FEMALE Male Female

1 Luampa Secondary School 20 86 190

2 Nalionwa Secondary School 5 112 115

3 Nande Primary School 15 48 81

4 Namalangu Primary School 9 128 154

5 Senanga Primary School 9 180 200

6 Senanga Secondary School 11 62 89

7 Kanyonyo Primary School 13 160 180

8 Limulunga Secondary School 0 150 190

9 Limulunga Primary 2 120 180

10 Mawawa Primary School 12 65 135

11 Kaoma Secondary School 8 150 190

12 Kalabo Secondary School 19

13 Mangango Secondary School 9 36 37

14 Lunyati Primary School 22 15 25

15 Nkeyema Primary School 0 100 140

16 Kalabo Primary School 26 25 25

17 Chitwa Primary School 40 108 117

18 Mbanyutu Primary School 5 22 26

19 Lui Primary School 8 84 140

20 Luampa Primary School 8 66 102

21 Mwandasengo Primary School 10 41 59

22 Mulalila Primary School -

23 Imwiko Primary School 4 18 20

24 Kambule Secondary School 0

25 Muyumbana Primary School 0 20 38

26 Mulambwa Primary School 19 3 78

27 Nalionwa Primary School 14 51 68

28 Mooyo Seondary School 0

29 Tungi Primary School 7 40 48

30 Naluwei Primary School 0

31 Mupatu Primary School 9 40 50

32 Katunda Primary School - 20 30

33 Shishamba Primary School - 20 26

34 Shimano Primary School - 30 25

35 Mukunkiki Primary School 18 29 21

36 Mawilo Primary School -

37 Kashokoto Primary School - 24 26

38 Longe Primary School - 20 32

39 Nkenga Primary School - 33 30

40 Namimbwe Primary School - 31 21

41 Milumbwa Primary School - 19 23

42 Kankomba Primary School - 24 26

43 Mahilo Primary School - 25 28

44 Sishekanu Primary School - 17 14

45 Mangongi Primary School - 25 26

46 Kaoma Primary School - 26 27

47 Namasheshe - 26 22

48 Matunda Primary School -

49 Namaloba Primary School - 25 18

Total 322 2 324 3 072

Muchinga province

26 Chinsali Day Secondary School -

2 Chinsali Girls Secondary School - 13 25

5 Chisansali Primary School 9 20 27

24 Chitulika Secondary School - 47 36

21 Chiwanda Primary School - 49 60

6 Hoge Primary School 14 18 12

8 Ikawa Primary School 201 28 48

9 Ilondola Primary School - 45 75

16 Kabale Day Secondary School 6 33 48

14 kafwimbi Primary School - 17 36

15 Kalwala Primary School 5 21 40

27 Kalwala Secondary School -

11 Kanakashi Primary School - 45 55

10 Katozi Primary 3 60 40

18 Lubwa Primary School 20 45 41

20 Malashi Primary School - 30 43

17 Mishihi Primary School 10 40 36

29 Mpika Day Secondary School -

31 Muchinga Secondary School -

12 Primary School Mulanga Secondary - 39 54

19 Mulilansolo Primary School - 40 55

23 Musakanya Primary School - 21 39

28 Mwaba Primary School -

22 Mwenya Primary School - 26 51

3 Mwenzo Primary School 4 67 93

4 Nakonde Primary School - 26 35

1 Nakonde Secondary School 24 43 57

7 Ntindi Primary School - 32 43

30 Ntindi Secondary School -

13 Ntipo Primary School - 31 47

25 Timba Primary School -

Total 296 836 1,096

6.0 ABOUT FAWE-ZAMBIA

The Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) was established by the First

female Minister of Education in Zambia, the late Hon. Dr. Kabunda Kayongo (MP.) on 8th March

1996 and it is registered under the Societies Act of Zambia as a membership Non-Governmental

Organisation (NGO). FAWEZA is an affiliate of the Forum for African Women Educationalists

(FAWE); a Pan-African NGO network founded in 1992. FAWE is the fruit of five visionary and

distinguished African Women Ministers of Education who resolved to walk the talk about the

appalling state of girls’ and women’s education in Africa. These included- the late Honourable

Vida Yeboah of Ghana, Honourable Simone De Commarmond of Seychelles, Honourable Paulette

Missambo of Gabon, Honourable Dr. Fay Chung of Zimbabwe and Honourable Alice Tiendrebeoge

of Burkina Faso.

6.1.The Aim of FAWEZA: To foster mutual assistance and collaboration among serving and non-

serving female educationalists and social researchers, in partnership with male gender-activists

in developing national capabilities to accelerate the participation of girls and women at all levels

of the education system in Zambia. FAWEZA’ vision is a Zambia where females and males have

equitable access to education opportunities and resources and gender disparities eliminated at

all levels of education, enabling women to participate in national development.

6.2 The Mission statement: Advocate for legislation and education policies and programmes that

promote gender equity and education quality and removal of obstacles to girls and women’s

education.

6.3 FAWEZA’s Goal: Increased access, retention, progression, achievement and completion rates

for females, particularly at primary and secondary school levels.

6.4 FAWEZA Overarching Objectives

To reinvigorate political commitment to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and

Education For All (EFA) goal on gender equality.

To stimulate government, donors, communities and civil society organizations to increase

financing for gender equity programmes in education.

To stimulate advocacy and campaigns against social, cultural, economic and institutional

barriers to female participation in education.

To induce parental demand for resources and opportunities for girls’ specific education

needs.

To use existing data to design high impact programmes that take into account the special

needs of girls and women in education.

To build and strengthen networks with men and boys within the education sector,

communities members and Civil Society Organizations in the promotion of female

participation in education.

To advocate for increased participation of females in education management and policy-

making positions.

To promote female and male leaders’ catalytic role in promoting girls’ education

advancement, through targeted capacity-building programmes.

At country level, FAWEZA has been committed to:

a) Fostering mutual collaboration among serving and non-serving female researchers and

educationalists;

b) Marshalling support of male gender activists and traditional leaders to join the campaign

for gender responsive educational policies, programmes and;

c) Creating a supportive socio-cultural environment for girls’ education.

The organisation has advocated for female education at three key levels as follows:

a) Level one: Policy formulation, engaged in policy dialogue and influenced gender

responsive educational policies and plans.

b) Level two: At implementation level, FAWEZA has acted as “watch dog” to ensure that

educational policies and programmes are implemented in a way that does not

disadvantage female learners.

c) Level three: At community level, FAWEZA has partnered with Community members to

carry out campaigns and sensitized communities on gender and equity policies and

programmes available and stimulated community response to affirmative policies and

programmes. It has also confronted negative social/cultural practices and sexist attitudes

that perpetuate the disadvantaged position of girls and women in society.

6.5 FAWEZA’S VALUES

FAWEZA’s Organizational Values include the following;

Good governance – FAWEZA shall endeavor to be transparent and accountable in the

advancement of its organizational mandate and shall be honest and answerable to its

constituency.

Integrity and Inclusiveness - FAWEZA shall strictly adhere to its mandate and uprightness

in its undertaking while incorporating all vulnerabilities.

Professionalism – FAWEZA shall uphold ethics, honesty, trustworthiness and respect for

humanity.

Ownership – collective action and responsibility shall be the cornerstone of the work of

FAWE-Zambia.

Solidarity - FAWE-Zambia shall strive to empathize with the oppressed and face the

challenges in oneness.

Inclusiveness –FAWE-Zambia shall strongly discredit discrimination and promote dignity

and active involvement of all in its operations.

Responsiveness -FAWE-Zambia shall be ready and quick to react or respond to the

educational needs of the vulnerable, particularly girls and women.

Reliability -FAWE-Zambia shall be dependable, trustworthy and consistent.

Volunteerism - Acting out of passion, with no persuasion or expectation to be paid or

rewarded.

FAWE- Zambia is one of the lead gender justice NGOs in Zambia and it is strategically positioned

to compliment government’s efforts through a memorandum of Understanding signed between

the Ministry of Education and FAWEZA on 15th April 2004, which established and strengthened

the collaborative role of working together towards eliminating gender disparities in the

education sector. Our complimentary role in the education and gender landscape of Zambia has

been acknowledged in key Government strategic documents such as the Education Sector

Strategic plans.