This executive summary presents the key findings from our study into which male engagement approaches work best for girls' education in northern Nigeria — and what it would take to strengthen them.
In northern Nigeria, fathers and husbands often make the final decision about whether a girl enrols, stays in or leaves school. Traditional and religious leaders set the terms of what is locally acceptable. Male educators and policymakers shape whether schools are safe and responsive to girls. In short, male engagement can have a profound impact on whether girls can exercise their right to education in practice.
Government, civil society and development partners increasingly agree that restrictive gender norms are among the most significant barriers to girls' education, and that engaging men and boys may be an important lever for change. Yet across the girls’ education field, engagement approaches that are deliberate, strategic and with clear expectations and accountability remain largely underdeveloped.
Effective engagement means working with men as part of the solution, rather than as obstacles to girls’ learning. A feminist approach offers a pathway towards male allyship that keeps girls and women at the centre; engages men within clear limits of role, accountability and safeguarding; and offers them structured opportunities for reflection, change and allyship.
This study is a first step in building the evidence base the girls’ education field needs to strengthen male allyship. It draws on a systematic review of 385 sources on gender equality programmes, an analysis of 28 flagship girls' education programmes and interviews with 63 practitioners including programme managers, government officials, male champions and MenEngage Nigeria network members.