GPE and other education driven organizations and individuals have been working tirelessly ahead of the Global Education Summit in July. For GPE youth leaders, it's been an opportunity to change narratives and initiate conversations and actions that will yield better support for GPE to give more children their lives back through equal and accessible EDUCATION.

On 8 June 2021, GPE and Plan International Belgium organized a Youth Exchange open dialogue with Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation - Meryame Kitir. This dialogue was led by us - GPE Youth Leaders Bridget Akurut (Uganda) and Maryjacob Okwuosa (Nigeria) - and youth activists Naomi and Yousri from Plan International Belgium.

The discussion focused around the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, girls' education, the role of young people’s advocacy to transform education and Belgium’s commitment to invest in education and youth.

The youth participants started by sharing their personal experiences with COVID-19 and how it has affected their personal lives and their work for education in their individual spaces and nations. Challenges highlighted included the digital divide, limited engagement with the community and social and cultural norms fueling gender inequality during the pandemic.

Naomi and Yousri further added that there’s a need to remove stereotypes at school and family level which discriminate against girls and ensure that all girls stay in school.

GPE Youth leader Maryjacob, throughout the conversation, echoed the need for more young people to be involved and lead decision making as it involves their education.

She further stressed the need for all young people, both in developed and developing countries, to reach out to their leaders to support more funding for education, and for low-income countries to prioritize domestic financing for education.

Minister Kitir discussed the importance of social protection to ensure safety for all children:

She also pointed out the need for continuous dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure that education remains a priority, and for young people to use their voice for critical decision making at all levels. In the lead up to the Global Education Summit, Belgium will declare its contribution to fund education, “A dollar invested in girls’ education is much more valuable and you give more chances to someone’s life.”