Uganda joins other African countries committing to increase efforts to adolescent girls and young women education and empowerment

The Government of Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment towards the empowerment of adolescent girls, boys and young women - a critical last mile towards the end of AIDS by launching the Education Plus Initiative. The First Lady, Minister of Education and Sports and UN Champion for adolescent girls Hon. Janet K. Museveni led the launch on 2nd June 2022 at Mengo Senior School in Kampala.

“Our government fully believes this ambitious approach of Education Plus is critical for us to build momentum with the already existing campaigns like the teenage pregnancy campaign for the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women and the achievement of gender equality in the region, however any effective effort designed to empower young people must start with the family. Positive parenting is what we must talk and discuss with our communities,” said Janet K. Museveni, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports

The Education Plus Initiative is a high-level political advocacy drive to accelerate actions and investments among adolescent girls, young women and boys to prevent HIV, reduce teenage pregnancy, early marriages, gender-based violence with access to and completion of secondary school education as a strategic entry point.

Co-led by five UN agencies working together with governments across Sub-Saharan Africa, the initiative calls for free and quality secondary education for all boys and girls, universal access to sexuality education, fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health rights, freedom from gender-based and sexual violence, school-to-work transitions, and economic security and empowerment.

“Through this initiative, the UN aims to create and build stronger alliances and partnerships with government, education development partners, civil society, young women and youth networks, religious and cultural leaders, private sector and all relevant stakeholders for the advancement of education, health and economic rights of adolescent girls and boys in Uganda,” said Susan Ngongi Namondo, UN Resident Coordinator

Anne Githuku Shongwe, the UNAIDS Regional Director addressed the gathering and reiterated the importance of a unified regional response. “The East and Southern Africa region is the highest magnitude of HIV incidence among our adolescent girls and young women. In this region alone, we report 3,200 new infections each week amongst adolescent girls and young women between 15-24, however we know that these infections happen to underage girls below 15 years. On behalf of UNAIDS and the co-sponsors, I would like to express commitment to support the Government in this strategic action to empower young women and adolescent girls, complete secondary education,” she said.

Uganda has commendable and progressive laws, polices and strategies such as the Universal Primary and Secondary Education, National School Health Policy for Uganda that promotes the integration of life skills-based education, the National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy that is strengthening child protection mechanisms, the National Sexuality Education framework to make sexuality education an integral part of the policies and practices of the school. There is also the National Strategy for Girls’ Education to address gender inequalities, and guidelines on Prevention and Management of HIV/AIDS – all of which are to improve the lives of adolescent girls.

While the country has done tremendous work in prevention of HIV/AIDS, about 42% of HIV infections occurred among young people with huge disparity by sex, namely three in four of new HIV infections among young people occurred among adolescent girls. HIV prevalence was almost four times higher among females than males aged 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 HIV prevalence is nearly three times higher in men and women aged 20-24 compared to those aged 15-19.

The high risk of acquiring HIV is just one of the many threats adolescent girls and young women face pertaining their health, safety, dignity, and life aspirations. While women and girls are biologically more susceptible to HIV than men and boys, unequal gender power dynamics and harmful gender norms are the root cause, compounded by intersecting forms of discrimination.

“While we have managed to achieve gender parity in primary education, very few girls transition to and complete secondary education. On average, four million girls enroll for primary education but less than one million transit to secondary education,” said Ketty Lamaro, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports.

The national net enrolment rate for girls in secondary school stands at 21%, and the percentage of girls enrolled is 47.8 of the national enrolment in lower secondary schools. Although the transition from primary to secondary is at 68.5%, only one in three girls completes Senior four (lower secondary school).

Also of concern, 18% of the annual births in Uganda in 2021 was because of teenage pregnancies and one in four adolescent girls aged 15-19 years have begun childbearing and therefore live as teenage mothers. 

Thus, keeping girls in secondary school is crucial – a right in and of itself  –  and a means to protect girls against HIV infection. The Education Plus initiative will complement and build on already existing progressive policy direction.

The launch was attended by government officials, development partners, the UN, religious leaders, private sector, civil society, students, teachers and parents as key partners in the initiative.

Natalie E. Brown, US Ambassador to Uganda, said the Education Plus Initiative complements US investments in primary education, HIV prevention with adolescents and helping young mothers access skills training to build their economic independence and maintain their dignity.

Lorraine Gallagher, Head of Cooperation Embassy of Ireland and Chair Education Development Partners Group, spoke of the added value of the ‘Plus’ in Education Plus in addition to what exists already. “What is vital and what we welcome is the multisector and multidimensional approach which no doubt with the leadership of five UN agencies will help us ensure better synergies, linkages and integration of services. As chair education development partners, I recommit our collective support and engagement to work through this initiative with the Government of Uganda to reach our shared ambition,” said Gallagher.

With continued partnerships with development partners, cultural and religious leaders, civil society and private sector, while building on already existing initiatives to accelerate advocacy and investments in programs targeting adolescent girls and young women, Education Plus will be a reality.