Long-term investments that pay off
Since 2019, Education Out Loud has supported 53 national education coalitions, with this number expanding to 60 beginning in 2022.
The coalitions are representative of the diversity of voices in their countries: 100% of the coalitions have representation of women and girls’ groups, 98% of people with disabilities, and 41% of at least one member representing internally displaced persons/refugees.
Despite the unprecedented challenges to advocacy posed by the closures, disruptions and economic pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the coalitions have nevertheless been instrumental in influencing 22 national policy changes in 18 different countries toward stronger human rights–based approaches during the first two years of Education Out Loud.
This success has only been possible because of GPE’s long-term investment since 2009, which has laid strong foundations for the kind of long-term and persistent strategies required for policy change to occur—strengthening the resilience of civil society organizations to weather crises and continue to mobilize political will for needed solutions.
For example, in Pakistan, years of advocacy campaigns implemented by the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) and supported by the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) were instrumental in the 2020 federal education budget increase of 19%.
In Mozambique, Movimento de Educação para Todos (MEPT) together with UNICEF participated in the strengthening of the Multisectoral Mechanism for Reporting, Referral, Response and Assistance to Victims of Violence at School. The mechanism, approved in October 2020, seeks to help prevent structural violence against children, especially girls, in and around schools.
In Togo, the Coalition Nationale Togolaise pour l’Education Pour Tous (CNT/EPT) actively participated in the revision of the education sector plan by championing the integration of seven Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets into the plan, alongside policies to promote inclusive education and stronger community responsibility in the decentralized management of education.
The Togolese government integrated the right to education of children with disabilities and other previously neglected target groups into the new plan.
Initial impact of new civil society partners
Education Out Loud’s newest civil society partners focus their work on two key areas: strengthening monitoring and accountability practices of local communities and strengthening transnational advocacy to improve the wider policy environments for system transformation.
Through 20 grants, our partners are working on issues such as youth-led monitoring of education budgets, monitoring and transparency on the implementation of girls’ education and regional advocacy on tax justice for education financing, among many other themes.