Whether political, economic, health, natural disaster or conflict-related, crises systematically exacerbate existing inequalities around the world. Today, on International Day of the Girl 2020, we share some of the increasing inequalities experienced by girls due to the Covid-19 pandemic and suggest how education can mitigate these. Coincidentally, 2020 should have been a year of celebration […]
gender
International Day of the Girl 2020: Covid-19 likely to set back girls’ education by decades
As we mark International Day of the Girl 2020 (11 October), Aide et Action wishes to highlight the seriousness of the threat Covid-19 poses to girls’ education and to urge nations to keep their commitments to ensure all girls are guaranteed access to 12 years of free education, as provided for by Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). Across […]
Education heals, empowers, and includes
Since May 2020, Aide et Action has been running an international awareness campaign entitled “Education changes our lives”, made up of three components “Education Heals[AM1] “, “Education Empowers” and “Education Includes”. Through a web-documentary series, Aide et Action aims to show the impact of education on all areas of life, from health to gender equality to […]
Challenge accepted: Supporting women’s empowerment through education
As the issue of women’s rights appears to be receiving more and more media attention – hot on the trail of current trends such as #womensupportingwomen and #challengeaccepted – what constitutes women’s empowerment remains contested. For us here at Aide et Action, empowerment is synonymous with the development of autonomy over one’s own future, made […]
Cambodia: From “just a girl from the village” to an award-winning leader in early childhood education
Suan Sokhom dropped out of school at Grade 10 to get married. Without a complete education, she never imagined she’d have the opportunity to become a preschool teacher but, against the odds, she has become a leader in her community, committed to providing quality early childhood care and education to marginalised children in Cambodia. “I […]
Lao PDR: New skills bring new opportunities for ethnic minority women
Increasing access to quality education is at the core of what we do at Aide et Action. In Vietnam and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), we’re also focusing on lifelong learning to offer youth vocational training and new skills to better match them to current job markets and build a more equitable and sustainable […]
Benin: Supporting girls’ menstruation to strengthen their attendance in class
Many schools in Benin, West Africa, do not have latrines or water points. This lack of health facilities makes life difficult for many girls, even pushing some of them to drop out of school. On the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020, we’d like to share more about our work supporting hygiene and sanitation […]
Cambodia: 40 years after the genocide, Mom demonstrates the power of education to make a difference
On this International Women’s Day, we would like to share the story of Phou Mom, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, who has spent the past 40 years advocating education as a tool for rebuilding Cambodian society. In Cambodia, under the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), many intellectuals were murdered and around 90% of the […]