Plenary session by Ann Cotton

This plenary talk looks at tackling the issue of girls' exclusion from education.

About the session

The justice and imperative of girls' secondary school education – a model of action

In the theatre of international development, girls' education has moved from the wings to centre stage in the last 25 years. Ann Cotton will chart this change and both the philosophical underpinnings and utilitarian arguments that have propelled it. Camfed's work is driven by the right to education of every child, and the delivery of that right. Its work has demonstrated that girls' exclusion from education is rooted in family poverty and the enforced decisions as to which child should go to school. Ann will explore the arguments that variously place culture, traditional mores and poverty at the root of girls' educational exclusion. The address will describe how Camfed has worked with rural communities in five African countries – Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – where family poverty is endemic. The Camfed Model works in a full partnership with Ministries of Education, traditional and faith-based leaders, head teachers and teachers, parents and children. This inclusion is a fundamental principle of the Model and one that shows evidence-based results in delivering sustainable systemic change. Ann Cotton will illuminate the systems and processes that have been built to ensure transparency and accountability first and foremost to the child, Camfed's primary client. Ann will describe the different forms of capital that Camfed recognises respects and extends – capital that includes knowledge, social and institutional capital. The address will conclude with the analysis of Cama, the alumnae organisation of Camfed secondary school graduates that is more than 25,000-strong, explaining the depth of empathy and analysis members bring to the stage as we work to establish and build health and education systems that serve the needs of everyone.

About the speaker

Ann Cotton is Founder and President of Camfed, an international non-profit organisation tackling poverty and inequality in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to step up as leaders of change. The organisation's unique approach is to not only support girls and young women through school, but also on to new lives as entrepreneurs and community leaders. To complete the 'virtuous cycle', graduating students become Cama alumnae, many of whom return to school to train and mentor new generations of students. More than 3 million children have already benefited from Camfed's programmes in a network of 5,085 partner schools across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi. In 2014 Camfed was recognized by the OECD for best practice in taking development innovation to scale, and Ann Cotton received the WISE Prize for Education.

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