Reshaping narratives toward resilient futures: Research and policy symposium on gender equality in and through education

Monday, December 4, 2023, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. EST
Online: https://www.brookings.edu/events/reshaping-narratives-toward-resilient-futures-research-and-policy-symposium-on-gender-equality-in-and-through-education 

In a world defined by its interconnectedness, we are witnessing escalating fragility and vulnerability. The climate crisis, the rise of authoritarianism, entrenched socioeconomic disparities, and the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have collectively brought education systems to a critical juncture. These challenges, compounded by longstanding gender-based structural and social barriers, are significantly undermining learning opportunities and future prospects for a majority of girls and young women across the Global South. Considering these multifaceted issues, a critical question arises: How can we strengthen education systems to ensure more resilient and equitable futures for youth—especially girls—worldwide?

On December 4, the Center for Universal Education (CUE) will host the Research and Policy Symposium on Gender Equality in and through Education. The event will open with a plenary discussion among the Echidna Global Scholars, focusing on the lived experiences of girls and young women in the Global South. This discussion serves as a platform to rethink local and global narratives around education systems transformation. The scholars, drawing from their extensive research, will explore a variety of critical themes: gender-transformative climate education in Bhutan, a decolonial framework for comprehensive sexuality education in Egypt, strengthening the agency of socioeconomically marginalized adolescent girls in India, and pathways for school re-entry for teenage mothers in refugee settlements in Uganda. Through these discussions, the symposium aims to delve into the systemic challenges faced by young people often sidelined in political and socioeconomic contexts, and highlight feasible pathways for creating more resilient and gender-equal futures.

Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter/X at @BrookingsGlobal by using #EchidnaSymposium.