UN Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI)

The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is a multi-stakeholder partnership committed to gender equality in education and the empowerment of girls and young women. It is founded on an understanding that all children—girls and boys—have the right to learn in a safe and supportive learning environment. UNGEI was launched in 2000 as a designated flagship of the Education for All (EFA) initiative. It strives to support governments and the international community to deliver on gender and education commitments set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and detailed in the 2030 Education Framework for Action. UNGEI brings together international organisations, development agencies, academic and civil society organisations, and private sector representatives engaged with gender equality and the education of women and girls. Over the last 15 years, UNGEI has used the power of partnership to champion the rights of girls and women who are not granted access to global discussions and decisions; and to hold partners and the broader community accountable for global commitments to girls’ education. In order to maximise needed efforts that will have the highest impact on girls’ education around the world, UNGEI focuses its policy advocacy on four key strategic priorities: effective inclusion of marginalised and excluded groups; elimination of school-related gender-based violence; improved learning outcomes for girls; and increased transition to secondary school and post-primary learning opportunities. UNGEI is committed to: a) using its collective voice to raise awareness of the importance of girls’ education and influence policy discussions to support increased investments to address barriers to girls’ education and gender equality; b) strengthening the evidence base on effective practices for facilitating girls’ education and gender equality across regions and countries; and c) building capacity to ensure a collaborative and coordinated approach to addressing and supporting girls’ education.