The Ministry of National Education celebrated National Girls’ Education Day yesterday, Thursday January 9, in Diamniadio. The ceremony marked by the presence of First Lady Marie Khone Faye, patron of the event, was an opportunity to advocate for inclusive education for all girls, with the launch of the campaigns “Senegal educates its girls” and “Initiative priority to equality.
Senegal is determined to guarantee inclusive education for all girls. Yesterday, Thursday, January 9 at the Abdou Diouf Conference Center in Diamniadio, the celebration of the National Girls’ Education Day by the Ministry of National Education was an opportunity to raise awareness and further mobilize social and institutional actors in favor of equitable access for girls to quality education. Focused on the theme “For an inclusive quality education, girls get involved and engage the community”, the event enabled the launch of the “Senegal educates its girls” and “Priority to Equality Initiative” campaigns. . “Promoting girls’ engagement is crucial to fostering positive and lasting change. By actively involving themselves in their environment, girls become catalysts for social transformation,” declared Minister of National Education Moustapha Guirassy.
Indeed, there are still many challenges to guaranteeing access to education for all girls in Senegal despite the progress made. Early marriages, poverty, lack of educational infrastructure with schools without toilets, gender-based violence… the obstacles to girls’ education remain. “These barriers can be physical, social or economic and their impact is undeniably profound not only for the girls themselves but
also for communities and countries as a whole,” said UNICEF representative Jacques Boyer.
Coming to chair the National Girls’ Education Day of which she is the patron, the First Lady, Marie Khone Faye, pleaded in favor of inclusive and equitable education for all girls. “I am the standard bearer of this noble cause and I am committed to your side to ensure that all girls are in school and thrive in a safe, secure and inclusive school environment. I therefore appeal to everyone to succeed in this challenge of the educational society that we want to build.
The girls invite us there. From this podium, I solemnly undertake to advocate for the promotion of girls’ education in Senegal and in the world,” declared Marie Khone Faye. National Girls’ Education Day saw the presence of all education stakeholders, including teachers, civil society, parents and partners.
MARIAME DJIGO
