Welcome to Action Education Switzerland
Education for girls and women: an essential battle
Why is girls' education important?
Despite decades of mobilisation and efforts to combat gender inequality, Throughout the world, girls and women remain one of the most discriminated against populations. In particular, women are still all too often deprived of their fundamental right to a quality education, relegated to household chores and exposed to pregnancy, early marriage and dependency.
Ensuring that all girls and women have access to a decent standard of living quality education is therefore one of the priorities of Action Education, with the aim of ensuring that their rights are respected and accelerating the construction of a fair and sustainable world.
Discrimination and violence: girls and women particularly at risk
Girls and women make up more than half of the human race. And yet today they account for are among the world's most vulnerable populations, particularly in the least developed countries. At every stage of life, their right to life, identity, food, healthcare and employment is violated. And they are systematically among the first victims of crises, whatever their nature.
- The number of children and young people not attending school stands at 250 million. The increase since 2021 is partly due to the massive exclusion of girls and young women from education in AfghanistanBut it can also be explained by the constant stagnation in educational progress around the world. In total, pore than 125 million girls in the world do not attend school. (UNESCO, 2024).
- 12 million young girls are married off early every year (UNESCO, 2019).
- 18.5 million girls aged between 15 and 19 give birth (UNESCO, 2019).
Why is the education of girls and women important?
Since its creation, Action Education's mission has been to support the most vulnerable populations. In a world where inequality between men and women is rife, it is our duty to step up our efforts to provide better support for women on the road to education. Not only to provide them with the knowledge and skills they have been deprived of, but also to move forward together on the road to equality, freedom and active citizenship. Because the effective realisation of the right to education brings multiple benefits and is the only guarantee of human dignity.
In a low-income country, a young girl who goes to college will be less likely to be married before she is 18, and less likely to have children at an early age. And this is just one of the many freedoms gained through education. The other gains are numerous and will give them the ability to become subjects of effective rights and, above all, agents of change for themselves and future generations.
What is Action Education doing to promote the education of girls and women?
Ensuring that all girls have access to quality education has been Action Education's priority since its creation. That's why our projects give priority to guaranteeing all girls' fundamental rights. Our aim is to ensure that girls acquire lifelong learning so that they can take control of their own development, be autonomous and agents of change.
Education is the key to combating racism and xenophobia. gender-based violence such as forced marriages, early pregnancies and other abuses, which are still on the increase.
Our projects for girls' education
Among other things, our association is working on deconstructing gender inequalities. We are raising community awareness of the importance of girls' rightsand encourage young girls to stand up for their rights.
We are also working on educational content to promote gender equality from an early age.
For example, in Vietnam, our team has launched the first bilingual (Vietnamese-Hmong) textbook, one of the major subjects of which is gender equality..
Changing standards early is the key to success for future generations. Early childhood education is therefore necessary.
Our projects for women's education
We support women deprived of an education by offering them :
- Literacy sessions
- From socio-professional training with support to develop entrepreneurship.
These courses enable them to develop their leadership skills and self-confidence, and to acquire certain skills and practices.Our support helps to transform cultural traditions in terms of gender over the long term and to reverse the prevailing distribution of power. Over the long term, our support helps to transform cultural traditions in terms of gender and to reverse the prevailing distribution of power. It is implemented in most of the countries where we operate.
Our ambitions
Educating future citizens
A group of pupils, democratically elected by the others, divides up the various aspects of school life by "department": environment, cleanliness, school grounds, canteen, etc.
This encourages children to take part in issues that concern them directly, and gives them a sense of responsibility. It fosters a sense of social awareness and civic responsibility, and gives them the opportunity to work on their command of language, both oral and written, and their ability to make themselves heard and express their ideas.
Protecting children's health
Action Education believes it is necessary to ensure the well-being and respect for the rights of all children in order to guarantee their access to quality education.
One of our priorities is therefore to provide children with a healthy environment. This means installing gender-specific latrines so that young girls can go to the toilet and avoid harassment. As well as giving importance to nutrition, it is necessary to ensure that children are neither deprived nor malnourished. Poor sanitary conditions have a considerable impact on children's education. Repeated illness leads to absenteeism and discourages parents from sending their children to school.
We also attach particular importance to the nutrition of the children we support.
Combating child labour
Children are also exposed to the dangers of trafficking and forced labour. In the world today, 160 million children are still forced to work, half of them in dangerous jobs.
Our priority is to ensure that no child is at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation such as early marriage, rape, prostitution, child labour, abandonment, trafficking or drug abuse.
To do this, we are raising awareness in communities and developing preventive measures to provide effective support to families so that their children are in school and not at work.
Our news
on Girls and Women
World Toilet Day: Ensuring sanitation to protect education, health and dignity
Every 19 November, World Toilet Day reminds us of a reality that is too often ignored: nearly half of the world's population still does not have access to safe toilets. The consequences are serious, especially for women, children and the elderly.
International Girls' Rights Day: education, an essential bulwark against early marriage
Every 11 October, the International Day for Girls' Rights highlights the realities and challenges still faced by millions of young girls around the world. Among these challenges, early marriage remains one of the most worrying. In...
Young women lead change through learning
In Cambodia and around the world, more and more young women are taking action to create lasting change. Preap Keo and Sor Sokunthea are living proof of this: when they are trusted and given the means to act, they flourish,...
The Action Education Magazine #165: India; 3 projects, 3 challenges
Contents Editorial. "Supporting vulnerable and marginalised communities", by Charles-Emmanuel Ballanger, International Managing Director of Action Education News Vietnam - The emancipation of women in rural areas Senegal -...
Action Education Magazine #166: Youth on the Move
Editorial "The world is experiencing the largest youth population in its history", by Charles-Emmanuel Ballanger, Managing Director International News Burkina-Faso - New centres for girls who have dropped out of school India - Action...
Action Education Magazine n°170: Cambodia, 20 years of action in favour of education
Published in 2024Publication frequency: 2 times a year This issue features an editorial by Gilles Delecourt, International Managing Director of Action Education, and focuses on one of our countries of intervention in South-East Asia:...
Action Education raises awareness among students at the University of Geneva, during the "Act for Tomorrow" week.
Photo credit: Shukri Ahmed On 6 April, Action Education took part in "Act for Tomorrow", an event organised by the student association AIESEC. Here's a look back at an event where sustainable development took centre stage. AIESEC is the world's largest student...
For out-of-school girls, a second chance school in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, many girls still do not have access to education.
Aide et Action Suisse's Magazine N°162: "Women's education, our priority"
Editorial. "Education changes the world, especially for women" by Charles-Emmanuel Ballanger, International Director General of Aide et Action Actualités. COVID-19: One disaster hides another; Cambodia - Testimony: "The closure of schools...
Our projects
for Girls and Women
Gender equality through vocational and entrepreneurship training (GEVEE)
The project aims to boost entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for women, particularly those from ethnic minorities. Young girls, particularly those from rural areas, are at a disadvantage and do not have the same opportunities...
Togo: Projet d'Appui à la Réforme des Collèges, phase 2 (PAREC 2)
The project aims to improve the completion rate at secondary level, particularly in secondary schools in three educational regions: Maritime, Grand Lomé and Savanes.
Support for girls' schooling in Burkina Faso (SCOLFILLE)
The project aims to improve access, retention and completion of primary education for vulnerable girls in the Centre-West region of Burkina Faso.
