International Women’s Day held annually on March 8th celebrates the achievements and contributions of inspiring girls and women across the Globe. The theme for this year’s celebration “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” aligns with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
World over, many girls do not have access to quality basic education and the few who do only access analogue teaching techniques and subpar education. In August 2022, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted that no fewer than 70 per cent of children in Nigerian schools are suffering from learning poverty (a situation where 10-year-olds cannot read or understand a simple text) while the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) put the number of out-of-school children in the country at 20 million in October 2022.
It is therefore important to look into ways to improve learning outcomes while increasing girl child enrolment and access to quality basic education. This year’s International Women’s Day theme resonates with the current reality of the EdoBEST programme. With the adoption of a pedagogy proven to improve learning outcomes, more girls now have access to the quality basic education that EdoBEST offers.
The EdoBEST programme uses a combination of innovative teaching practices, technology and classroom practices in the delivery of superior learning outcomes. Achieving gender parity with 49% female enrolment and attendance in all 1330 schools, we are closer than ever to embracing equity and equal representation across all our schools.
This International Women’s Day, we join the world to celebrate the significant achievements and contributions of girls and women around the globe and engage in discussion about gender equity. EdoBEST continues to emphasize the importance of having a strong focus on the foundation of equity and empowerment – education and the ability to learn.
