To prioritize inclusive and equitable education as a mainstream agenda, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) organized dialogues on issues of equity, inclusion and gender equality on Thursday (March 28) at the Pearl Continental, Lahore. The dialogue was organized in collaboration with the Government of the Punjab, FCDO and Oxfam on ‘Education for All: The Leap to Gender Equality’. The dialogues aimed to promote discourse on equity based on findings from the recently launched ASER 2018 report and ITA’s pilot survey on measuring learning outcomes of CWDs, serving as a point of reference for crafting powerful solutions to provide access to quality education and learning opportunities for all.

'Education for All: The Leap to Gender Equality'

The session was initiated with the sharing of case studies highlighting gender challenges in the Punjab. Ms. Farida Shaheed delivered the Keynote Address, highlighting the key factors contributing to persistent and intersectional gender inequality in our system. The panelists for this dialogue included Ms. Fauzia Viqar (Chairperson, Punjab Commission on Status of Women), Ms. Uzma Kardar (Chairperson, Standing Committee on Gender Mainstreaming), Ms. Bushra Anjum Butt (Member, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab), Mr. Waqar Azeem (Director Programs, Punjab Social Protection Authority), Ms. Amna Khalid (Social Development Advisor, FCDO), Ms. Ayesha Aziz (Sustainability Department, Bulleh Shah Packaging) and Mr. Akram Khurshid (Program Manager, Oxfam). The panel was moderated by Ms. Baela Raza Jamil (CEO, ITA). The dialogue was attended by 50 participants from government (including School Education Department and L&NFBE), civil society organizations, donor agencies, research think tanks and education experts, who all joined ITA to call for strong targeted responses, especially supply-side, to promote gender equality and justice.