Seychelles launches “Africa Educates Her” to safeguard girls’ education rights 

The platform is geared towards protection of girls’ right to education during emergency, security, and humanitarian situations. (Archive photo – Joe Laurence)

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Seychelles launched the Africa Educates Her (AEH) campaign on Wednesday, joining three other African countries in efforts to safeguard young girls’ rights to education.

The campaign launched at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) is an African Union-backed project. It is an advocacy platform for its member states and stakeholders to work for the protection of girls’ right to education during emergency, security, and humanitarian situations. It is also geared towards ensuring learning recovery strategies.

Seychelles joins Ivory Coast, Mozambique, and Uganda, who have already adopted the AEH.

Africa Educates Her is currently in its second phase. The first took effect after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with the press, Marie-Antoine Bethew, the head of the project in the 115-island archipelago, explained that Seychelles did not join the rest of the African continent for the first phase. This was because girls in the country did not go back to school later than their male counterparts following the pandemic.

“We have seen that some countries on the continent sent their girls back to school later, opting to keep them at home to help their households,” she said.

In her address, the principal secretary for Education, Merna Eulentin, pointed out that Seychelles has also faced increasing challenges in education over the years, including “an increase in school drop-outs, rising mental health issues and teenage pregnancies.”

She said, “This year has been especially difficult for many families, as numerous children have lost their parents due to various tragic circumstances, including fire incidents and other disasters.”

Eulentin added that the campaign will bring together all local stakeholders to tackle such difficulties and ensure education equity.

Africa Educates Her in Seychelles will also include boys in the education system.

Bethew said that “since the situation concerning girls’ education in Seychelles is not exactly the same as that of other countries on the continent, we will also be including boys in our campaign.”

The campaign launched at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) is an African Union-backed project. It is an advocacy platform for its member states and stakeholders to work for the protection of girls’ right to education during emergency, security, and humanitarian situations. It is also geared towards ensuring learning recovery strategies.

Seychelles joins Ivory Coast, Mozambique, and Uganda, who have already adopted the AEH.

Africa Educates Her is currently in its second phase. The first took effect after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with the press, Marie-Antoine Bethew, the head of the project in the 115-island archipelago, explained that Seychelles did not join the rest of the African continent for the first phase. This was because girls in the country did not go back to school later than their male counterparts following the pandemic.

“We have seen that some countries on the continent sent their girls back to school later, opting to keep them at home to help their households,” she said.

In her address, the principal secretary for Education, Merna Eulentin, pointed out that Seychelles has also faced increasing challenges in education over the years, including “an increase in school drop-outs, rising mental health issues and teenage pregnancies.”

She said, “This year has been especially difficult for many families, as numerous children have lost their parents due to various tragic circumstances, including fire incidents and other disasters.”

Eulentin added that the campaign will bring together all local stakeholders to tackle such difficulties and ensure education equity.

Africa Educates Her in Seychelles will also include boys in the education system.

Bethew said that “since the situation concerning girls’ education in Seychelles is not exactly the same as that of other countries on the continent, we will also be including boys in our campaign.”

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