Yemen has one of the highest gender gaps in education in the world. Yemen joined the Global Partnership for Education in 2003 with an avowed goal of “decreasing the enrollment gap between boys and girls.” Over the last decade, the government implemented a national education plan focusing on boosting girls’ education in rural provinces. By pooling donor support for education, and assistance from the Global Partnership for Education, the Ministry of Education introduced several policy measures to expand access, improve quality, and internal efficiency of its sector.
The targeted approach by development partners since endorsement has resulted in an increase of 12 percent in girls’ gross enrollment (GER). In spite of this increase, Yemen’s progress in bringing girls to school is weak. Girls’ completion of primary education is also low. The approach taken in Yemen has not produced the anticipated improvement in girls’ education. Renewed debates on how to accelerate increases for girls is needed.
Yemen’s strategy to increase girls’ participation blended innovative and traditional mechanisms. These included constructing new schools in rural areas through a school mapping exercise, and placing schools closer to girls’ homes. Yemen launched girls’ education campaigns through local media and also made use of traditional leaders. Other interventions encouraged women teachers to work in rural areas by giving them adequate accommodation. The government eliminated tuition fees to defray costs to families. Girls were provided clothes, notebooks, pens, and bags to help them attend school with confidence. Strategies to help young girls travel to school safely were introduced, and girls’ participation in school was to be carefully monitored.
The Global Partnership for Education grants were used to build and rehabilitate 214 girl-friendly schools with proper toilet facilities in four remote provinces. Kits with school supplies were given to 350,000 children. Funds also helped build teacher training institutes in rural areas and 1000 women teachers were trained in these institutes.
Last Modified: March 01, 2012
