Feminist Network Rallies Africa to Transform Education for Gender Equality.

Feminist Network Rallies Africa to Transform Education for Gender Equality.

Leaders, activists, and policymakers charting bold strategies at Nairobi regional workshop.

Nairobi, August 26, 2025

The Feminist Network for Gender Transformative Education (FEMNET4GTE) has convened its Africa Regional Action Workshop in Nairobi, bringing together more than 50 leaders, policymakers, activists, and education experts from across the continent to push forward a bold agenda for gender equality in and through education, today at The Pacific hotel Westland.

The two-day convening, which runs through August 27, seeks to align Africa’s education strategies with feminist principles that dismantle structural barriers, shift harmful gender norms, and embed equality in classrooms across the continent.

FEMNET4GTE, a growing intergenerational movement of over 210 organizations, governments, researchers, and advocates, was founded in 2022 and has since become a leading platform for advancing gender-transformative education globally.

“Education is a tool for reparative justice,” said Ms. Lydia Madyirapanzi, Executive Director of FAWE Zimbabwe, in her keynote address. “We must ensure that its content, pedagogy, and environment truly challenge gender norms and drive transformation. That means valuing intergenerational leadership, addressing how gender intersects with disability, poverty, and displacement, and demanding adequate financing. Without sustainable investments, gender transformative education remains a promise unfulfilled.”

This year’s workshop comes at a defining moment with the African Union’s 2025 Theme of the Year, “Building a united front to advance the cause of justice and payment of reparations to Africans," framing education as a critical tool for dignity restoration and social transformation.

For Ms. Alinafe Malonje, Community Coordinator for FEMNET4GTE, the urgency could not be greater.

“Too many children are being left behind, about 122 million girls remain out of school, one in five is forced into early marriage, and millions are trapped in child labour,” she said. “Children are not born believing boys are superior to girls. Division and inequality are taught, and through education, we can unteach it and build a world grounded in equality and justice.”

The Nairobi workshop features keynote panels, best-practice exchanges, feminist policy roundtables, and youth-led sessions, all geared toward co-developing national and regional action plans. Discussions are also linked to broader continental and global agendas, including the African Union’s CESA 2026–2035 strategy, Beijing with 30 review processes, and FEMNET4GTE’s planned engagements at the UN General Assembly later this year.

Organizers including FAWE, Oxfam, Plan International, Usawa Agenda, GCE, and ANCEFA emphasized that solidarity and intergenerational collaboration will be critical for lasting change. The workshop is also providing wellness and solidarity spaces, recognizing the importance of feminist self-care in sustaining activism.

Ultimately, the outcomes from Nairobi will feed into FEMNET4GTE’s global advocacy, shaping the post 2030 education and development agenda.

“Classrooms can and must become spaces of transformation,” Ms. Malonje stressed. “We know what it takes. What we need now is bold action, political will, and collective commitment to make gender-transformative education a reality for every child."