PESHAWAR
Blue Veins a local NGO working to improve girls’ secondary education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with Pakistan Education Champions Network (PECN), has organized 5 training workshops educating 150 local government representatives on the importance and practice of gender responsive budgeting and tracking to improve girls secondary education.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces a significant educational disparity, with 4.7 million children out of school, 2.9 million of whom are girls. This means that 52% of girls aged 5-16 are missing out on school.
Achieving gender parity in education necessitates increased budget allocations, efficient spending, and a heightened political commitment from the Provincial government.
Addressing this issue isn’t merely a social justice concern, but also a crucial component of regional socio-economic development.
The path towards equitable education demands an inclusive approach, involving all stakeholders—educators, policymakers, parents, and community leaders.
The training sessions provided valuable insights into the preparation and implementation of gender-sensitive budgets and underscored the urgency of prioritizing girls’ secondary education schemes in the respective Annual Development Programs (ADPs) of their tehsils and districts.
Mr. Qamar Naseem, Program Manager at Blue Veins, elaborated on the initiative, stating, “Through this strategic capacity-building, we aim to equip our local government representatives with the knowledge and tools to effectively allocate, implement, and monitor budgets.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure girls’ secondary education is not merely an agenda item but a core priority in district development schemes.”
This pioneering initiative is seen as a necessary step to foster gender equality in education.
Mr. Intezar Khalil Chairman of the Neighborhood Council & member of the Capital Metropolitan City Govt, expressed his support for the program, stating, “A nation cannot truly progress unless its girls are educated.
Our local government representatives can play a pivotal role in advancing girls’ secondary education by conscientiously prioritizing and monitoring the allocation of funds in their budgets.
This initiative by Blue Veins and Pakistan Education Champions Network offers a viable path to achieving this goal.”
Blue Veins and the Pakistan Education Champions Network’s initiative (PECN) reaffirm their commitment to the cause of girls’ education and present a replicable model that can be employed by local government bodies across the country.
Both organizations urge local government representatives to utilize the knowledge gained from these training sessions to affect a tangible difference in girls’ secondary education within their regions, subsequently paving the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for the nation.
