Education in Emergencies: The Gender Implications
Advocacy Brief
Education in emergencies is a critical intervention in the promotion of gender equality. It can create opportunities for girls and women for cognitive development and individual empowerment that may not have existed before. Beyond this, education opportunities can help to improve the status of women and girls in society. Women's and girls' participation is critical in post-emergency recovery, reconstruction and peace-building efforts and gender-responsive education programmes that give girls opportunities to learn new skills and develop their confidence help to pave the way in this process. Strategies outlined can help to ensure that education programmes – formal or non-formal – established by governments, UN agencies, international NGOs or community-based organizations, fulfil their protective potential and meet the needs of all learners.