“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution.” – Malala Yousafzai, July 2013
A basic education is an essential human right and should be a global, national and local priority. On September 25, 2015, the countries of the UN adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of the UN’s sustainable development agenda. Education is a necessary component of every goal, and Sustainable Development Goal #4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning for all, places priority on the state of education world-wide.
Education is essential to understand the world and be able to function effectively in it. There is a direct correlation between women’s levels of education and socio-economic status and health. Education empowers women to make informed decisions regarding their futures – knowledge is power!
We aspire to shine a spotlight on issues concerning education around the world and feature the efforts of FAWCO Clubs in their local communities in order to bring awareness of these issues to FAWCO members.
Mission Statement & Areas of Emphasis
MISSION STATEMENT:
The FAWCO Education Team serves as a clearinghouse for education knowledge, advocacy, and practical implementation across member clubs. Our work is anchored in SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all—while intersecting strategically with SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace & Justice). We focus on foundational access, inclusive systems and lifelong learning pathways that advance dignity and opportunity for women and girls.
Areas of Emphasis
1. Foundational Literacy & Numeracy: Early childhood and family literacy, multilingual and mother-tongue learning, adult and adolescent literacy recovery, and numeracy as economic agency. (SDG Targets 4.1, 4.2 and 4.6)
2. Equal Access & Inclusive Education: Gender equity and girls’ retention, disability and neurodiversity inclusion, language access and culturally responsive pedagogy, and safe, child-sensitive learning environments. (SDG Targets 4.5, 4.a)
3. Lifelong & Continuing Education: Workforce re-entry and vocational pathways, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, micro-credentialing and digital skills, and mentorship and leadership development. (SDG Targets 4.3, 4.4)
4. Digital & Future-Ready Learning: Digital literacy for women and girls, AI literacy and ethical technology use, STEM access for girls, and addressing algorithmic bias. (SDG Target 4.4)
5. Education in Crisis & Conflict: Refugee education pathways, trauma-informed learning models, continuity of learning in fragile contexts, and Target Project storytelling pathways. (SDG Targets 4.5, 4.a)
6. Advocacy, Policy & Global Citizenship: Global citizenship education, SDG awareness and advocacy tools, UN framework engagement, and measuring outcomes versus outputs. (SDG Target 4.7)
What's on the Education Team’s bookshelf? We have regular book recommendations and reviews. Find more in this article.
Here you can find a Playlist of Virtual Meetings the Education Team has hosted in 2020:
Playlist 2020 includes Juliet Cutler's presentation of her book Among the Maasai and Rachna Reiter's She Pilots! presentation.
Join Us!
Our Team is composed of, and always looking for, enthusiastic educators and, more importantly, members who are very passionate about education. Thank you to these amazing women for their contributions!
If your topic of interest is not highlighted above, please do not hesitate to email the co-Chairs of the Education Team for further consideration. Please contact us at . Additionally, we encourage you to stay-up-date by signing up to receive the Global Issues Digest (GID)!
