Input to the UNGEI-GAC Report Update
Input to the UNGEI-GAC Report Update
Norway
- Women and gender equality is a major development policy intervention area for the present Norwegian Government. For the first time in many years women and gender equality has been given its own budget line in the national budget, and in 2007 200 million NOK (approximately USD 37.4 million) have been allocated. The budget for 2008 projects a 35 million NOK increase. While education is not one of Norway’s prime intervention areas as such, education and gender are a basic fundament for this and other resource envelopes.
- Unicef’s thematic report on BEGE for 2006 shows that Norway is the largest donor to this program.
- In addition to the Plan of Action for women’s rights and gender equality launched on March 7th this year (NB! previously reported), Norway will next year present a White Paper to the Norwegian Parliament on Women’s rights and gender equality in international development policy.
- Through its bilateral development cooperation Norway is supporting processes that directly or indirectly can be related to gender and education. In Angola Norway has given financial support to develop the country’s statistical capacity. This has culminated in a household survey encompassing 200 000 households in the country. A study was commissioned to examine gender disparities in school. 28 000 school children who are out of school now have an alternative option for learning. Out of these, however, only 44.5% are girls.
- Norway is also involved in education sector programs in Nepal, Zambia and Bangladesh.
- To a growing extent Norway’s support to the education sector is being plowed into General Budget Support (GBS), where it is demonstratively more difficult to monitor education outcomes in relation to financial investment.
- Norway plays an active role in the FTI and its related funds. Several desk studies have been produced this year looking at the education plans of FTI endorsed countries. Assessments of how gender issues are addressed are not very encouraging.
- Norway, along with CAMFED, is co-chair of UNGEI, and in August Norad nad UNGEI arranged an international seminar to present findings from a UNICEF-study on equity in education in Madagascar. UNICEF reported that there is a very positive development in Madagascar regarding girls’ education thanks to a great commitment from the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (MENRS), teachers and parents. The Minister of education of Madagascar and several policy-makers from the ministry attended the seminar.