Skills4Girls
07.10.2024
A new partnership in support of UNICEF will create access to education and skills for out-of-school girls in Mauritania.
Limited access to education hinders girls from reaching their potential. Globally, 1 in 4 girls aged 15-19 are neither employed nor in education or training, compared to 1 in 10 boys of the same age. Numerous obstacles, including poverty, social norms, and early marriage practices, hinder the education of young girls beyond the primary school.
Girls in Mauritania, particularly in rural areas, face numerous challenges limiting their access to education, with implications for their autonomy and wellbeing. Efforts are needed to combat obstacles preventing girls from realizing their potential and becoming active and equal members of society.
Lind Foundation is supporting UNICEF and in particular the SAFIA programme in Mauritania, as part of UNICEF’s Skills4Girls initiative. SAFIA seeks to equip out-of-school girls with the skill set needed to gain more and better options for their future, where it is not just about surviving, but thriving.
UNICEF’s global Skills4Girls initiative is designed with and for girls and it is currently implemented in 20 countries, seeking to bridge the gap between the skills girls need to be competitive in the 21st century workforce, versus those they have traditionally had access to. Since 2020, Skills4Girls has reached 9.5 million girls and young women with the foundational, digital, STEM and life skills they need to thrive in their lives.
In Mauritania, the programme will support 2,800 girls aged 15 to 24 who are out-of-school. Central to the initiative is a strong focus on digital literacy as a key tool to unlock the girls’ talents, skills and potential, so they can live out their dreams, overcome limitations, and open doors to further education, employment, and personal growth.
The programme combines four key skill sets and interventions: 1) life skills, 2) literacy and numeracy, 3) technical and vocational training, 4) and coaching and psychological support. Over 12 months, girls will develop both fundamental skills and a range of 21st century skills, including digital literacy, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, creativity, and communication. Technical and vocational training, aligned with local labor market needs, will help enhance their employability, and promotes economic independence.
By combining digital education with personal development and health services, the girls gain increased confidence and are physically and mentally prepared to face challenges, setting them up for better opportunities after they finish the programme.
Before enrolling the girls, awareness-raising activities will be conducted for parents and community members to promote positive gender norms and break down gender barriers. These efforts support girls’ empowerment including their transition to work.
In this new partnership, Lind Foundation and UNICEF are together committed to accelerating progress for girls and young women – guided by the belief that education, training, empowerment, decision-making, and the active participation in public life are means to breaking the cycle of poverty and gender inequality.
Lind Foundation donates USD $680,000 to the Skills4Girls programme in Mauritania over the next 2.5 years. We are looking forward to following and measuring how this holistic skills development programme can leverage newfound skills and confidence among the young women and how they are empowered to enter the labour market, build businesses and help uplift others.
Read more about Skills4Girls: https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/skills4girls
Facts:
- Donation: USD $680,000
- Commitment period: 2.5 years
- Reach: 2,800 out-of-school girls
- Focus area: Sustainable Livelihoods
- Supported since: 2024