Canadian International Development Education Programs in Fragile, Crisis, and Conflict Settings: Charlevoix Education Initiative Funding
The Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education for Girls, Adolescent Girls, and Women pledged $400 million to advancing women’s and girls’ education in fragile, conflict, and crisis contexts. Through the Charlevoix Declaration, the Government of Canada partnered with governments, civil society, and multilateral organizations to implement education projects, highlighting the importance of quality education and gender equality.
In 2019, Global Affairs Canada funded 26 projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, focusing on addressing girls’ education. WUSC’s AGENCI Project, implemented in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada in South Sudan, Uganda and Syria was one of these projects.
This report, led by the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada through funding provided by the AGENCI project, presents a comprehensive assessment of 21 projects around the world. The report aims to assess the effectiveness of the Charlevoix Education Initiative in addressing challenges in education within contexts affected by fragility, crisis, and conflict. In addition, it looks to understand the impact and lessons learned from these projects and contextualize the findings.
Ultimately, the findings suggest that the projects effectively addressed the barriers affecting girls’ education and focused on partnerships with local communities to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability.
Furthermore, several recommendations were highlighted including:
- enhancing equitable local partnerships, strengthened capacity, and equal participation in the implementation of projects,
- working towards improving students’ learning outcomes while strengthening education systems, ensuring access to education in emergency contexts, and including education at the forefront of emergency planning and humanitarian assistance.
The Charlevoix declaration on quality education and the subsequent funding commitments by Canada and other G7 donors were important milestones in advancing the cause of equity and inclusion in education systems. WUSC continues to collaborate with partners from around the world to ensure its legacy.