Reducing Gender Disparity in Education Project – Funded by UNICEF
Reducing Gender Disparity in Education Project (RGDP) has focused on improving access to quality primary education for girls in five districts of Sindh. One of the most significant successes of RGDP has been the changing perceptions of the communities regarding girls’ education which led to enrolment increase, the primary goal of this project. Changing perceptions of the communities is also an encouraging step towards achieving gender equality not only in education but also in the socioeconomic and socio cultural status of Sindh.
The issue of girls’ education has been traditionally marred by barriers at community, school and policy levels. In the past six years, governments and donors have increasingly recognized that basic education for girls and women is central to development, and many have taken action to reduce gender disparities in education. Recent data indicate that girls’ primary school enrolment jumped from 226 million in 1990 to an estimated 254 million in 1995 – an increase by 28 million. Despite this marked increase in female enrolment, nearly three girls (6-11 years) out of ten are still not in school, compared to one out of ten boys. Literacy rates among women have increased only slightly: 71 per cent of women in the world were literate in 1995, compared to 69 per cent in 1990. Research has shown that education for girls is the single most effective way of alleviating poverty. Women with even few years of basic education have smaller, healthier families and are more likely to work their way out of poverty and into better lifestyles. They are more likely to send their own children to school. It is therefore, important not only to send girls to school, but to retain them there. The Project – Reducing Gender Disparity in Education in Sindh has been initiated with an aim of creating educational opportunities especially for girls in 5 districts of Sindh. Some of the specific objectives of the project are as follows:
PROJECT GOAL
"To increase girls' enrollment by approx. 73,460 by the end of December 2003".
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- To improve access to quality primary education for girls in above mentioned five district of Sindh.
- Increase girls' enrollment in 5 by approximately 75,000 to reduce gender disparity in education.
- To support the establishment of child-friendly schools with the involvement of school management committees and
local communities.
- Reduce out-of-school girls by 5% through increasing enrollment in selected districts of Sindh. Support selected
interventions of Child Friendly Environment for increasing enrolment of girls in 5 districts of Sindh.
