• In all OECD countries, individuals with a tertiary-level degree have a greater chance of being employed than those without such a degree. On average across OECD countries, 84% of the population with a tertiary education is employed. Overall, employment rates are more than 27 percentage points higher for those with a tertiary education than for those who have not completed an upper secondary education.

• Full-time work generally increases with higher levels of education. The proportion of individuals working full-time is 10 percentage points higher among those with a tertiary education than among those without an upper secondary education. Across OECD countries, 66% of those who have not attained an upper secondary education work full-time, 72% of those with an upper secondary education do, and 75% of those with a tertiary education do.
• Education is generally good insurance against unemployment and for staying employed in difficult economic times. In 2009, average unemployment rates across OECD countries stood at 4.4% for those with a tertiary education, 6.8% for those with an upper secondary education, and 11.5% for those who have not attained an upper secondary education.
• Differences in employment rates between men and women are wider among less-educated groups. Among those adults who do not have upper secondary qualifications, men are 21 percentage points more likely to be employed than women; but among the most highly qualified adults, men are only 9 percentage points more likely than women to be employed.
• While possessing a tertiary degree is a strong positive factor in employability, it is not a guarantee of employment. Across the OECD countries, 15% of those with tertiary degrees are unemployed. Chile, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Japan, Turkey and the United States were among the countries with the lowest employment rates among individuals with tertiary education.

Good education and skills are essential, particularly in the current economic climate. It is essential that Governments maintain investments in the education sector, including higher education.

Education at a Glance 2011 covers 34 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States and the United Kingdom

What about other countries? Does a tertiary degree have a positive impact on employability in your country? Are there differences between men and women’s employment/unemployment at different education levels?

For the Full Report:
Education at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/2/48631582.pdf

Education as a human right

The presenters stressed that access to quality secondary education for girls is a human right. Excluding girls from education limits their potential and opportunities and leaves them vulnerable. Without an education, girls are denied the knowledge they need to become informed global citizens.

Education and development

There is a definite link between education for girls, especially at the secondary level, and sustainable development.  The lack of education for girls has a negative impact on society as a whole and undermines economic growth.   Research shows that education, especially girls’ education, is a principal catalyst for sustainable growth and increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation.  Gender-based discrimination and poverty are a mutually reinforcing double negative that affects women disproportionately, but education can contribute to breaking the circle of poverty.

Education for girls is essential in achieving their economic and political empowerment. Through education, girls have a better chance of accessing decent work and decision-making positions.  Nations gain huge advantages from the empowerment of women.  As one speaker stated, educating a girl contributes to enlightening her whole family and consequently her whole nation.

Education and health

Education for women and girls plays a key role in health issues. Recent research shows that 4.2 million fewer children under age 5 died between 1970 and 2009 because of increased education for women.  Girls’ sexual reproductive health is especially affected by education.  Educated girls postpone childbirth and have, on average, 1.5 fewer children. Girls without access to education often experience early childbirth and have an increased risk of maternal mortality and disability.

The vital link between education and sexual and reproductive health can be seen when we examine the statistics concerning HIV. Currently, there are 33 million people living with HIV, 3,000 people are infected daily and 16,000,000 children have been orphaned. However, only 1 out of 3 14-25 year-olds has accurate knowledge on HIV transmission and has received the education necessary to protect themselves; only 17% actually use protection. Studies show that girls with secondary education have a lower rate of HIV infection.

Barriers to girls’ education

The panellists spoke of various barriers to girls’ education, including financial, social and cultural barriers.

To surmount these barriers we need leadership and political will. We need long-term vision and an approach that is both bottom-up and top-down.  Work is needed at the community level, but also at the national and international level. There is a need for advocacy and cooperation among all the stakeholders.  We also need to explore new and innovative partnerships with the private sector.

As an example of surmounting barriers, Bangladesh shared its successes and the significant progress it has made educating its girls.  Enrolment there at the primary level is almost 100% and at both the primary and secondary levels, girls now outnumber boys. The most successful strategy to get girls into schools has been paying small cash allowances.

What are the barriers to education for girls in your country? What are some of the successful strategies that have been put in place to surmount these barriers? Has your country used any innovative financial incentives to encourage girls’ school attendance?

Download the full report of the panel here.

Morgane Desoutter
IFUW Intern

Mr Juan Somavia, Director-General of ILO drew attention to the numbers of young people who are neither working nor studying and emphasized the problems of the exclusion of youth. Those that are studying are not necessarily receiving a useful education that would prepare them to move into the labour market. Given the rapidly increasing numbers of young people chasing fewer and fewer jobs, he pointed out that those who are educated and trained but unable to get jobs have ‘educated frustration’ and he asked ‘how can we get the economy to create jobs that the world can use?’ While the macro-economy may be a great success, unfortunately it isn’t creating enough jobs. We need to look at and adapt growth patterns to produce jobs for young people and to ensure types of education that prepare young people for employment.

H. E. Dr Ahmed Gamal Eldin Mousa, Minister of Education, Egypt said that new policy measures were focusing on freedom and dignity; democracy; and social justice. He pointed out the problems caused by the high birth rate, which means that there are 2 million newborns each year.

While there are some positive experiences of ‘dual education’ involving school and the factory, these needed to be expanded as did the availability of places in technical universities.

Issues were raised by some of the speakers on the importance of involving the private sector in ensuring that education was appropriate for starting work. A ‘time bomb’ is ticking in all countries as far as youth employment is concerned as those who are in neither education nor work pose a major challenge to society. Issues were raised particularly around ‘vocational training’.

The Deputy Minister of Education for Namibia drew attention to the ‘elephant in the room’ in his country – unemployment. He said that students should be trained to go out and create jobs, not just to take existing jobs. Unemployment in Namibia is 51% and most of the unemployed are young people.

Sha Zukang, Secretary-General for Rio +20 expressed his concern that the social dimensions are being neglected in the preparatory meetings for the conference. While economic and environmental issues are being addressed, this third ‘pillar’ is receiving inadequate attention. He also said that green technologies provided better opportunities for employment.

Marianne Haslegrave
IFUW President

Mr Soldheim, Minister of Environment and Development Cooperation of Norway gave the example of one village in Southern Sudan where there was absolutely nothing, pointing out that salaries were not paid. However the teachers continued teaching.

He found that at most international meetings, everyone discusses the need for education for children, then everyone says that more resources are needed and then they all stop. No one says what has to be done in other areas, ie no one says what are the means to reach the goals. He stressed importance of learning from other countries, giving the examples of Indonesia and Ethiopia. Developing nations must be responsible for educating their children and must make resources available. Developed nations should then assist. Contrary to what is thought, development aid is actually increasing, but it is new types of development aid, eg China, South Korea.  The donors now are no longer just the USA and Western Europe.

Policies that should be adopted include focus on teachers. Two million more teachers are required. Other ideas should be tried, for example Ghana has brought back retired teachers. Abolition of school fees, eg in Burundi, has meant that nearly all children are enrolled in schools. This has also been the case in Mozambique and Tanzania in Africa.

There should be a greater focus on the particularly vulnerable groups, including girls. Recognizing that it is controversial he also raised the issue of languages – many countries have many languages – but many children only understand their own indigenous language and it is important that they are taught in their own language.

Keynote address – Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation

In her Keynote address, Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation, discussed rights and responsibilities in the context of the global public good. She asked how we should look at the nature of risks as global challenges are likely to affect us all, both rich and poor, male and female. We have made some progress in reconciling some of the problems, such as those related to the environment and finance, however, problems remain with governance. We need an institution that will introduce new dynamism, though such change could come within existing institutions. She therefore suggested that, as ECOSOC is meant to provide institutional linkages, it should grow to become a Council for Sustainable Development.

Special Face-to-Face debate

Moderated by Imogen Foukes, BBC Correspondent in Geneva, the Special Face-toFace Debate focused on Education, Human Rights and Conflict.

Professor Mamadou Diouf, the Leitner Family Professor of African Studies and Director of the Institute for African Studies, Columbia University drew attention to issues of the societies such as those in Africa. Questions were also raised about the responsibility of everyone on issues such as education, especially with respect to the needs of vulnerable groups.

Talking about funding for education in conflict, Tove Wang of Save the Children Norway pointed out that it was more costly to educate children in conflict zones but it was most important as they have a greater need. As far as persuading member states that it is a good investment, Asma Jahangir, Laureate of 2010/UNESCO Bilbao Prize, President of the  Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan pointed out the importance on investing in the right sort of education and not in education where children are taught to hate. She drew attention to the women in Afghanistan, which had taught women during the time of the Taliban. The problem of community initiatives is that the people who run them cannot write proposals that will attract funding.

Marianne Haslegrave
IFUW President

Policy messages from the preparatory meetings for the Annual Ministerial Review included from:

Asia and Pacific – Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand

• There are direct links with education and health – girls who are educated are more likely to see pre- and post-natal care.
• More seriously affected countries lag seriously behind.
• Infection rates of HIV among young are now rising; we need to address young people’s rights and needs.
• Education for sustainable development would help development.
• Lifelong learning is important in preparing citizens for participation.
• There is a need to attract qualified and motivated teachers.

Africa  –  Minister of Literacy of Primary Education of Togo

Progress towards education for all shows mixed results.

• 31 million children are still not in school.
• Primary level drop out rates and repeating years impede progress.
• Progress in the context of the MDGs led to three recommendations:
  • Partnership need to be drawn up in the context of quality education, addressing problems including cultural factors.
  • Poverty has a negative impact on education; partners, for example, could help with school canteens.
  • Training and career development programmes are important in improving teaching standards.

• The right to education should be reaffirmed and included in the constitutions of the states in the African Union.
• Strengthening teacher training is an important component in Africa.
• Promoting a political commitment is important
• Schools should address gender issues and protect vulnerable children, i.e. the excluded should also be included.
• School fees for primary education should be abolished to ensure free primary education for all.
• Efforts should be made to ensure that girls should satay on at school, including free transport, make them safe for girls and provide free school meals.

Latin America – Minister of Argentina

• Inequality is the major obstacle in the region.
• Cooperating bodies should converge on Education for All.
• Situation analyses should be carried out, including information technology.
• Accreditation of programmes is important. Quality of education is an important issue.

Marianne Haslegrave
IFUW President

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that we are at a turning point at which we can either move forward to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly on education, or end up with broken promises, broken dreams and broken trust.

We are now at a fork in the road as we have a crisis in education. There could be 75 million children out of school by 2015. The illiteracy of young people will lead to many of them having periods of unemployment, or never finding a job. In UK £100,000 on average is spent over time on a child’s education; in Africa, the amount is about a 25^th of this. The crisis in education leads to lack of opportunity for young people. It is a crisis of equity and a crisis of empathy.

What is necessary between now and 2015 is to show that we can keep promises, renew the dream of education for all and renew trust.

There is nothing that prevents achieving education for all but political will and the necessary resources.  We need a plan in the 4 ½ years based on making the teachers available and building the classrooms. He suggested the establishment of a Global Fund for Education, financed by the public, private sector and NGOs.

There is no point in talking about further MDGs if we can’t deliver on the promises that we have made for the present. There is a need to work for the delivery of opportunities for all.

Irina Bukova, Director-General, UNESCO reminded everyone that 20 years ago Education for All was launched in Jomtien, Thailand. The countries that have seen the most significant development are those that have invested in education and health. Despite the gains since the Dakar Education World Forum, 800 million adults, two-thirds of whom are women, are illiterate and children drop out of school regularly. We now know what works and why. We have to understand the inequalities that still exist.

We must break out from a narrow vision of education and we must bridge several gaps

• Equity gap – inequalities are holding up progress from early childhood. UNESCO is working to implement the Moscow framework. The needs of girls and women should be addressed.
• Quality gap – far too many learners leave school with education that is of poor quality. This means that greater emphasis should be placed on teacher training and recruitment.
• Financing gap – current aid levels are insufficient and the international community should do more to meet its commitments. Innovative financing is also important.

We need to start setting the agenda to 2015. We need to act now to bridge these gaps

Simon Willis, Global Vice-President of CISCO referred to the United Nations Girls Education Initiative and to the lessons learned from the private sector. To meet with the lack of engineers, CISCO started a programme in partnership with UN, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and others. CISCO also made efforts to increase the numbers of girls and women participating in programmes, despite the obstacles of traditionally regarded as male dominated areas.

Marianne Haslegrave
IFUW President

Included in the High Level Segment is the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR).   Initiated in 2005, the AMR is charged with assessing the progress made in the implementation of the MDGs and the other goals and targets agreed at the major UN conferences and summits over the past 15 years.  Each year it focuses on a specific aspect of the United Nations Development Agenda.  This year it is looking at “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.

Over the next few days, IFUW’s delegation, headed by IFUW President Marianne Haslegrave, will be blogging from the sessions.

Community-based health education

Responses to ‘Women’s Human Rights and Culture’ (November 2010) showed an awareness of the role of education in maintaining cultural and religious defences against human rights for women. Many recognized that the manner in which girls are educated can lead them to support the ideas and beliefs that deny them equality as women. This support is then used to reinforce those ideas and inequality further, leaving human rights strategists at a loss to defend even basic human rights for women. One commentator helpfully suggested:

“In countries where the level of education is far from the aspirations of the Millennium Goals, where people are economically distressed and easy to manipulate, where most of the population is still educated by the [dominant religious institution] can we claim any women rights?”

In addition to efforts to improve economic conditions and to implement laws protecting women, education is the key to redressing the cultural denial of women as human beings deserving of rights. But what form should it take – especially when the damage caused by indoctrination in an ideologically unequal education system has already been done?

For me, the answer to this question is evolving, through my work on counter cultural education – not in the developing world, but in Northern Ireland – a part of the UK. There, the dominance of religion on the education system has created a similar situation to that described above. As children, women were taught that sex before marriage, contraception and abortion are always wrong, without question. Yet in their own and their children’s lives, these things are a reality – though one which they understandably fear talking about. As a result, not only are they ill equipped to deal with complex relationship and emotional issues, but they invariably recite the ‘party line’ when asked about the need for legal reform. The politicians then point to this as evidence that no change is required.

Community based education that informs women about such issues accurately and honestly, empowers them to talk about their real feelings and life experiences. It enables them to protect and educate their children in the same way, by promoting knowledge, self-awareness and self-esteem. Northern Ireland has an unacceptably high rate of teenage pregnancies and the number of women travelling for abortions, as well as those accessing abortion pills illegally over the internet, is ignored by educationalists and lawmakers. Projects to engage and inform women about matters dominant figures would prefer to keep hidden, are a start to redressing cultural defences against their human rights.

- Eileen Fegan (Irish Federation)
http://www.efempowermenttraining.com/

Ambassador Laura Dupuy called Uruguay’s decision, which cost the equivalent of $260 per child, a ‘social investment’. It is an investment which is already paying dividends. Moreover, as Uruguay has almost universal enrolment rates for primary education, these benefits are being spread equally among girls and boys.  Not only have schools reported higher self-esteem and greater levels of independent research among students, a follow-up survey found that 87% of the children had taught their family members to use the laptop as well. In particular, it was found that mothers were using the laptops to look up health and nutritional information. Plans by the government to increase the amount of free educational software and information available will therefore have a key impact on families, and on women.

Hans Laugesen, Senior Educational Policy Officer of Denmark’s Teacher’s Union, painted a more mixed picture of ICT’s impact on female education. He noted that ICT use in the classroom allowed teachers to better accommodate different learning styles and speeds within the same group, benefitting for example girls who are quiet or children of immigrant parents who have language difficulties. He also drew the audience’s attention to one way which ICT use in learning might disadvantage girls: online tests. When in Iceland and Denmark, the OECD’s PISA test, or Programme for International Student Assessment test, was switched to an online test, despite the same questions being asked, boys suddenly did much better while the girls’ performance decreased.

Both the examples of Uruguay and of Denmark/Iceland suggest that the introduction of ICT into learning environment can have unintended consequences for women and girls, whether good, as in the laptop scheme, or potentially harmful, as in the case of computerised testing. Educational decisions which appear to actively disadvantage girls should be discouraged, until the reasons for negative outcomes have been understood and overcome.

Have any studies been done on the impact of ICT on girls in your country? Have there been any pilot programmes to increase use of ICT for girls in your country? Do you think ICT in education has positive or negative effects on girls?

Signy Allen, IFUW Intern

A recent roundtable organized by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) looked at some of the issues that must be addressed for empowering women and enhancing their capacity as active agents of change for sustainable development.

One of the key issues was the unequal distribution of income. Women accrue less income than men over their lifetime for a variety of reasons. They get paid less for the same work and are more likely to work less in order to reconcile their careers with child or elder care. These gaps in women’s employment history reduce the amount of social security women gain. It also decreases the likelihood of receiving credit or loans. All these facts increase women’s vulnerability to poverty, especially in old age. Governments must introduce policies, programmes and quota systems which correct this imbalance.

Another concern voiced was the lack of sex-disaggregated environment statistics which makes it difficult to gage gender differences, especially when it comes to the management of natural resources and the protection of environment. The background paper for the roundtable suggested that natural resource management is an area where women are seriously underrepresented, as well as a field guaranteed to expand as concerns over the environment increase. Management of natural resources is an area that governments could target in order to increase female representation through skills development and the possible use of quotas.

Women’s contribution to sustainable development must be recognized. Women have a strong role in education and socializing their children, including teaching them care and responsibility with regard to the use and protection of natural resources. More should be done to increase women’s voice in environmental decision making and to enable women to seize opportunities in the “green economy”. More capacity building programmes and training tailored to the needs of women are needed.

Does your country undertake the systematic collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated environment data? In your country, are women represented in the fields addressing sustainable development ? If not, how do you think this will affect your nation’s policy development on the issue?

Caitlin Flannery, IFUW Intern

Read Caitlin’s full report here: ECE Roundtable on Empowering Women for Sustainable Development in the UNECE Region