The Issue
The issue
In Ethiopia’s Sidama region, rigid gender norms can lead to acts of violence against girls and can affect their ability to stay in school. High rates of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence contribute to an environment where only 25% of girls attend secondary school nationwide.
Assefa’s approach
A former primary school teacher, Assefa saw many girls leave school early to get married. To address this issue and help girls stay in school, he went on to study law and co-founded Center of Concern (CoC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to addressing social inequality across Ethiopia.
With their grant from Malala Fund, Assefa and the team at Center of Concern aim to raise girls’ retention rates at eight schools in Sidama, a regional state in southeastern Ethiopia. They will do this by hosting workshops for girls to learn how to best advocate for themselves and training government officials and educators on their role in helping girls overcome the education barriers they face. CoC will also develop education stakeholder networks and use radio programmes and community dialogue spaces to drive wider community awareness. The project aims to reach more than 33,000 girls in Sidama and improve their ability to access a safe, quality education.
There are 7 other Education Champions working in Ethiopia.
