NGOs Urge Oyo Government to Address Gender Disparity in Education

Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have called on the Oyo State Government to tackle gender disparity in access to education, retention, and enrollment of children in public primary schools.

The NGOs, including Onelife Initiative, ACE Charity, Invictus Africa, and YouthHub Africa, who are part of the Education Champion Network in Nigeria, with support from the Malala Fund, advocated gender balance in the recruitment and distribution of teachers, as well as equitable admission of students.

The organisations made the call during a two-day capacity-building workshop for media professionals focused on Gender Responsive Education Sector Plans (GRESP), held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The workshop, which drew participants from the broadcast, print, and online media, was designed to engage the media in shaping a more inclusive education sector that addresses gender-specific challenges that affect education outcomes, by equipping journalists with insights and tools to report effectively on the pressing issues and progress in the education sector.

The NGOs emphasised the importance of considering the specific needs of both genders in the provision of infrastructure and facilities across schools, pointing out that there persist systemic barriers which prevent equal access and participation of both genders in education.

The Executive Director of Onelife Initiative, Sola Fagorusi, noted that the workshop aims to help media professionals in the state understand the benefits of gender-responsiveness in education sector planning and draw attention to the gaps and wins via reportage and other media approaches.

Fagorusi said: “The capacity building event is also extended to cover Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of various government parastatal in Oyo State who have various oversight around education, and community development groups.”

Similarly, Toba Caleb of Invictus Africa highlighted that the current education sector plan in the state is outdated and fails to adequately address gender-related issues in schools, urging the state government to develop a sector plan that effectively responds to and addresses the pressing issues.

Caleb explained that Gender-Responsive Education Sector Plans aim to mitigate challenges arising from societal, cultural, and institutional norms that hinder individuals, particularly women and girls, from accessing, participating in, and benefiting equally from education.

Fagorusi and Caleb both stressed that without such plans, the existing disparities will continue to affect the educational outcomes for many children, affirmed that a gender-responsive sector plan will address the challenges, noting that the diverse norms across the various zones of the state should be taken into consideration when formulating the sector plan.

The duo encouraged stakeholders in the education sector to prioritise proper monitoring of out-of-school children who have recently returned to classrooms and ensure the students remain engaged in their education, saying the support is critical for their retention and success.

In emphasising the importance of accessibility, participation, and equitable benefits for both genders within the state’s education sector plan, the participants recommended an educational curriculum that includes adequate teacher representation and gender-sensitive teaching methods.

The participants said the approach would help create a more inclusive educational environment that caters to the needs of all students, and charged the media with the responsibility of being at the forefront of advocacy efforts.

“By leveraging digital tools, the media can influence government policies in the education sector and promote transparency and accountability on the part of the government, ensuring that the voices of marginalised groups are heard and addressed,” they said.

Some of the media organisations present at the meeting include Tribune Newspaper, Pensioners FM, Splash FM, Success FM, Voice of Nigeria, 32 FM 94.91, Legit.ng, and Petals FM. Others include Vanguard Newspaper, i-Flier 103.3, BCoS Ibadan, @Kuwaysir on Instagram, @theayoadams, and @akinshotit.

The training session ended with the journalists drawing up personal and group workplaces on the next line of action to hold various stakeholders accountable to GRESP.