Background, Rationale, and Call for Abstracts – FAWE 4th Triennale International Conference
Background and Rationale
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) will convene the 4th FAWE Triennale International Conference on Girls’ Education in Africa, a flagship continental platform aimed at accelerating progress toward inclusive, equitable, and gender-transformative education systems across Africa. The conference will bring together key stakeholders to mobilise political commitment, sustainable financing, innovation, and accountability as critical drivers for transforming girls’ education outcomes.
Over the past decades, Africa has made notable progress in expanding access to education, particularly at the primary level. However, access alone has not translated into equity, retention, completion, or quality learning outcomes for millions of girls. Girls—especially those from marginalised, rural, fragile, conflict-affected, and crisis-prone contexts—continue to face persistent and intersecting barriers. These include poverty, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, unpaid care work, limited access to digital technologies, and weak institutional support systems.
These challenges are further compounded by chronic underfinancing of education, ineffective allocation of resources, and limited adoption of gender-transformative budgeting approaches. Despite global and continental commitments, education financing remains insufficient and uneven, with gender considerations often inadequately mainstreamed into national planning and budgetary processes. Additionally, youth—who are both beneficiaries and agents of change—remain underrepresented in education financing decisions, policy design, governance, and accountability mechanisms.
Rapid technological change presents both opportunities and risks. While innovation and digital solutions can expand access and improve learning outcomes, unequal access to technology continues to widen gender and socio-economic gaps, particularly for girls in underserved communities. Without deliberate, inclusive, and well-financed strategies, technology risks reinforcing existing inequalities rather than dismantling them.
Anchored in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 5, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026–2035, Agenda 2063, and the African Union Decade of Education, the 4th FAWE Triennale Conference positions sustainable financing, youth leadership, innovation, and multi-sectoral partnerships as mutually reinforcing levers to drive systemic change. Building on more than three decades of FAWE’s leadership in advancing gender equality in education, the conference seeks to move beyond commitments to action, accountability, and measurable impact.
FAWE therefore invites researchers, policymakers, practitioners, civil society actors, development partners, private sector representatives, youth leaders, and students to submit abstracts that provide robust evidence, policy insights, and scalable solutions aligned with the conference theme and sub-themes.
Conference Objectives
The overarching goal of the conference is to accelerate progress toward gender-transformative education systems that enable all girls to thrive. Specifically, the conference aims to:
- Mobilise political, financial, and institutional commitments to sustainably finance education systems that address gender inequalities and deliver measurable results for girls.
- Elevate youth voices and leadership in education financing, governance, policy development, and accountability processes.
- Promote innovation, technology, and cross-sector partnerships that improve girls’ access to education, retention, completion, and learning outcomes.
- Strengthen policy coherence, institutional capacity, and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective education financing, implementation, and results delivery at national, regional, and continental levels.
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Conference Sub-Themes and Thematic Tracks
Abstracts are invited under the following sub-themes and indicative tracks:
Sub-Theme 1: Sustainable Financing for Gender-Transformative Education
- Political and policy commitments to finance girls’ education
- Gender-transformative budgeting and domestic resource mobilisation
- Innovative, blended, and alternative financing mechanisms
- Financing accountability, expenditure tracking, and impact measurement
Sub-Theme 2: Youth Voices and Leadership in Education Financing and Policy
- Youth participation in education planning, budgeting, and oversight
- Leadership development, mentorship, and intergenerational dialogue
- Youth-led advocacy, monitoring, and accountability initiatives
Sub-Theme 3: Harnessing Technology and Digital Innovation for Girls’ Education
- Financing inclusive and gender-responsive EdTech solutions
- Closing the gender digital divide and advancing girls’ participation in STEM
- Data systems, innovation ecosystems, and evidence-informed policymaking
Sub-Theme 4: Gender-Transformative Partnerships, Financing, and Accountability
- Multi-sectoral and private sector partnerships for scale and sustainability
- Policy coherence and institutional capacity strengthening
- Governance, transparency, and shared accountability for education results
Types of Contributions
FAWE welcomes diverse and innovative contributions in the following formats:
- Oral Paper Presentations (research-based or practice-oriented)
- Panel or Symposium Sessions
- Poster Presentations
- Case Studies and Good Practice Showcases / Workshops
- Youth-Led Sessions and Innovation Pitches
These formats are designed to encourage dialogue, knowledge exchange, and practical learning across sectors and generations.
Abstract Submission Guidelines
Submitted abstracts should:
- Be 300–400 words in length
- Use Calibri font, size 11
- Clearly outline:
- Background and context
- Objectives
- Methodology or approach
- Key findings, results, or insights
- Implications for policy and practice
- Include:
- Title of the paper or session
- Author(s) name(s)
- Institutional affiliation(s)
- Contact email address
- Selected sub-theme
- 3–5 keywords
- Indicate the preferred presentation format
- Demonstrate strong relevance to the conference theme and objectives
For good practice showcases, authors are encouraged to highlight:
- The innovation or intervention
- Results and impact achieved
- Costs and financing considerations
- Key lessons learned
- Scalability and sustainability potential
All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by the FAWE Conference Scientific Review Committee.
Important Timelines
- Abstract Submission Deadline: March 2, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: April 15, 2026
- Submission of Full Papers & Confirmation of Participation: May 29, 2026
Expected Conference Outcomes
The conference is expected to generate:
- Evidence-informed policy and financing recommendations aligned with continental and global frameworks
- Concrete political and financial commitments to advance girls’ education
- Strengthened multi-sectoral partnerships and a coordinated advocacy roadmap for FAWE
- Youth-led action plans and accountability commitments
- A Joint Communiqué and Call to Action on accelerating gender-transformative education across Africa
Submission and Contact Information
Details regarding the abstract submission portal, conference registration process, and registration fees will be communicated in due course.
For inquiries, please contact:
📧 Mr. Gordon Aomo or Ms. Catherine Asego
✉️ girlsconference@fawe.org
FAWE strongly encourages submissions that amplify African voices, centre lived experiences, and present locally grounded solutions with the potential to be scaled across the continent. Together, these contributions will help shape a more equitable, inclusive, and transformative future for girls’ education in Africa.