FAWEMA Pushes for Gender Equality in Malawi Schools

The Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi(FAWEMA) has expressed the need to promote gender equality and inclusion in the education sector to ensure developmental growth in the country.

Lilongwe District, Project Officer for FAWEMA on Gender Responsive Pedagogy, Loyice Tembo was spoke during the end of 5-day teachers training workshop in Malingunde Zone.

He said that they designed the training to equip teachers with gender knowledge and skills, then should be able to apply gender responsiveness aspects in their respective schools.

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She said gender responsive pedagogy refers to teaching and learning processes that pay attention to the specific learning needs of female and male students.

She expressed concern over the high numbers of drop-outs that Malingunde Zone experiences and most of them are girls due to cultural barriers and bad practices.

FAWEMA Project Officers were optimistic that teachers will play a very big role to promote and encourage education for all through language management, and easily identify the needs for both boys and girls in their schools to reduce the drop-outs.

Facilitator and Teachers’ Trainer at Karonga Teachers’ College, James Zimba alluded to fact that the training opens up to issues that impede life of a learner in a classroom, hence the need to focus on gaps that exist in schools on gender.

In her response, Gloria Banda, one of the training participants, who teaches at Phirilanjuzi Community Day Secondary School expressed gratitude saying the training has equipped them with more skills and knowledge on gender responsive pedagogy and they shall incorporate it to both boys and girls during lessons.

About 68 teachers from 17 schools have been trained with inclusiveness of two male and two female teachers from each school.