UNESCO’S COVID-19 EDUCATIONAL RESPONSE WEBINAR

COVID-19 Education Response Webinar 3:

Addressing the gender dimensions of COVID-related school closures

Friday 3 April 2020 – 13h00-14h30 GMT+1

Weblink: https://frama.link/webinar3_gender

Introduction

Evidence tells us that public health outbreaks have distinct gendered impacts, and that preparedness and response efforts must understand the gender dimensions of these crises to avert widening inequalities.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. COVID-related school closures across 185 countries have the potential to exacerbate existing gender inequalities in education or create new ones unless measures are taken to understand and address the gender dimensions.

This webinar, the third in the UNESCO COVID-19 Education Response webinar series, will examine the gender dimensions of COVID-related school closures, and facilitate knowledge exchange on how countries can ensure gender-responsive, evidence-based actions during and after this unprecedented educational disruption.

While this is a crisis situation, it can also be seen as a window of opportunity for advancing the 2030 Agenda, and in particular Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5 on inclusive quality education and lifelong learning and gender equality and our collective aim to leave no one behind.

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Webinar Themes

The webinar will address the following guiding questions:

What are the gender dimensions of COVID-related school closures? How is this crisis

particularly affecting girls, adolescents and young women?

What can we learn from previous crises and health outbreaks, and how can we apply lessons

to the current situation?

What efforts are governments making to ensure that all learners, especially the poorest girls,

are able to continue their education?

For countries supporting online learning, what steps are being taken to address the gender digital skills divide? For other countries where this option is not feasible, what innovations

are underway to ensure continuity of learning for the most marginalised?

How will gender figure in future education financing mechanisms aiming to mitigate the

impact of COVID-19? What priorities should domestic financing take?

What actions are needed to ensure we do not reverse 20 years of gains on girls’ education, and further deepen gender inequalities in education?

Objective

To examine the gender dimensions of COVID-related school closures, and facilitate knowledge exchange on how countries can ensure gender-responsive, evidence-based actions during and after this unprecedented educational disruption.

Audience

The target audiences for this webinar are senior officials and managers of Ministries of Education directly responsible for implementing and managing national responses to school closures. This includes directors of national distance education programmes, as well as departments of teacher training, examination and assessment, and curriculum. Technical staff in Gender Units and those responsible for mainstreaming gender equality in education planning, policy and practice will find it of particular value to their work. Other country partners supporting educational provision are also welcome, including civil society organizations, bilateral partners and the private sector.

Technical specifications

The webinars will use Microsoft Teams as a technical platform.

Participants do not require a Microsoft Teams account, but can connect as guests through this link:

https://frama.link/webinar3_gender