Education

Whereas it is necessary to adopt legislation to facilitate the democratic transformation of the national system of education into one which serves the needs and interests of the people of South Africa and upholds their fundamental rights.

Millions of girls are not making it into school, despite a concerted international movement to push the cause forward. In some African countries, the gender gap is even widening. What's gone wrong? In Ethiopia, girls are sometimes abducted for marriage when they're no more than eight. In West Africa, they're recruited from poor rural families to work as domestics in coastal cities or neighbouring countries. In South Africa, a recent report by Human Rights Watch warns that sexual violence and abuse is hampering girls' access to education. And in Afghanistan, they've simply been barred from school under the Taleban regime.
Customs, poverty, fear and violence: girls still account for 60 percent of the estimated 113 million out-of-school children, and the majority live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Creating a system that provides quality education and training for all -young and old, regardless of race, class, or gender-is probably the greatest developmental challenge facing the South African government today. Women (and girls), particularly those of African origin, have been largely excluded from analyses of South African education. This article seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining South Africa's educational progress generally and that of its women specifically, especially African women, along with a discussion of the factors affecting the education of women in South Africa and possibilities for future redress.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

Less than half of southern Africa's girls complete primary school (46 percent, compared with 56 percent for boys), while 26 percent enroll in secondary school (33 percent for boys). Though the statistics for boys are hardly uplifting - 44 million aged six to 11 are denied an education, compared with 60 million girls - girls have long faced more barriers to education than boys.

Ms. Winfrey's school, a $40 million project that opened Tuesday, is one of the most recent and high-profile projects in a growing worldwide campaign to improve girls' education. Such female-focused aid yields perhaps the highest dividends for developing nations, say experts, though they are quick to point out that boys face challenges as well.

Youth panelists shared and highlighted the experiences and challenges of girls growing up in their four different countries, namely, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and the Philippines. The girls were sharing at a discussion hosted by the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) in New York. Some of the challenges highlighted include female genital mutilation, poverty, domestic violence, sexual violence and cultural and traditional practices that hamper girls' education.