Case study: Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)

This case study profiles the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), a pan-African network that combines teacher training, youth empowerment and community mobilisation to advance girls' education across the continent.

FAWE was formed in 1992 by five African women ministers of education who came together to address the significant barriers facing girls in education. It was registered as a Pan-African organisation in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1993 and has since grown into a network spanning 33 countries and 34 national chapters.

FAWE works through several complementary models. Its Gender Responsive Pedagogy programme trains teachers and school leaders to recognise and address gender bias, covering topics such as school-based gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health; it has reached over 80,000 people across more than 20 African countries since 2005. Its Tuseme model gives adolescent girls and boys a platform to speak out on issues affecting their education, using theatre-based techniques, and has been adopted into national curricula in countries including Tanzania. Around 1,000 Mothers' Clubs also operate across the network, supporting female caregivers to advocate for girls' education within their communities.

FAWE works closely with governments to embed these approaches into formal education systems, including partnering with Malawi's Ministry of Education to roll out Gender Responsive Pedagogy across all teacher training colleges. Its research has also shaped policy responses to issues like teenage pregnancy and school re-entry, including studies conducted in Nigeria and Eswatini.

Key messages

• FAWE's Gender Responsive Pedagogy model trains teachers and school leaders to recognise gender bias and address school-based gender-based violence, reaching over 80,000 people across more than 20 African countries.
• Its Tuseme model uses theatre-based techniques to give adolescent girls and boys a platform to voice issues affecting their education, and has been adopted into national curricula in Tanzania.
• Around 1,000 Mothers' Clubs support female caregivers to advocate for girls' education within their own communities, with some formally recognised by education ministries.
• FAWE's research on teenage pregnancy and school re-entry, conducted in countries including Nigeria and Eswatini, has directly informed government policy on barriers facing young mothers.
• The organisation works primarily through government partnerships, positioning systemic collaboration with ministries of education as central to its approach to lasting change.
• FAWE has grown from five founding members into a pan-African network of 34 national chapters, reaching over 3 million girls through its educational programmes.