Context
Since 2000, Burkina Faso has been committed to ensuring access to quality education for all children (EFA). The education sector monitoring indicators show a good trend in the level of gross enrollment rates and equitable access of girls and boys to school. For the 2018-2019 school year, the gross enrollment ratio (GER) was 89.5% (89.9% for girls) in primary education and 50.6% (54.2% for girls) in lower secondary education, compared with 44% and 14% respectively in 2000. Despite this progress, the country still had 52.1% of primary school-age children and 50.3 % of secondary school-age adolescents who did not attend school in 2014. Projections estimate more than 3 million children out of school in 2021, and more than 50 percent of children aged 6 to 16 are concerned. The majority of these out-of-school children are girls who live in rural areas and come from poor families.
In addition, the insecurity facing the country and the internal displacement of populations are straining social services in general and the education system in particular. Thus, in July 2021, the education system recorded 2,244 schools closed, affecting 305,000 students according to OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). The prolonged school break following the closure of schools linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in children dropping out of school with little chance of returning to school. In response to this situation of educational disruption, the government has implemented a national schooling strategy for students in areas with strong security challenges 2019-2024, to offer alternative local or remote educational services mainly by radio. These devices do not, however, make it possible to cover all out-of-school children, especially girls.
Supported Project
The L’OCCITANE Foundation is once again committed to UNICEF to support the education of children in the Center-West region, Burkina Faso. The main objective of this 5 years project is to eventually promote access, completion and academic success for children in vulnerable situations, including more than 1,000 girls and about 50 boys in middle and high school.
Specifically, this project will cover all the costs related to schooling (school fees, school supplies, feeding support, means of transport, solar lamps, reception in accommodation centers for girls in difficult situations in their families, tutoring, etc.). It will also make it possible to set up activities aimed at improving the school environment for girls through the establishment of menstruation management systems, awareness-raising against gender-based violence in schools, teacher training in pedagogy. child and gender sensitive, support for the care of victims of gender-based violence. Another axis that the project wishes to focus on is social mobilization to support girls' education, in particular sensitization of the community for the abandonment of social practices detrimental to the education and educational success of girls (marriages and pregnancies). early, overloading of domestic work etc.) because unfortunately these practices still exist in the country particularly in rural areas. Finally, the project will set up activities that will allow girls to increase their skills on topics related to their everyday life (responsibility for early marriages and pregnancies, management of household chores, speaking out, leadership, etc. )
Some Figures
2021-2022 Budget 240,159 euros
2021-2022 Result 500 children supported
History of the Partnership
Since 2017, the L'Occitane Foundation has collaborated with UNICEF* to promote girls' education in Burkina Faso. A first phase of this partnership made it possible to support the schooling of a class of 450 vulnerable girls from 6th to 3rd year. For more information see here.
*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
