Young women contributed just 11% of Africa’s collective gross domestic product, which was around $3.1 trillion in 2022. One of the many constraints is access to education, with only 26% of girls completing secondary school. “It's for various reasons, but the most critical is pregnancy and unwanted and forced marriages,” said Martha Muhwezi, executive director of Forum for African Women Educationalists, or FAWE.
At an event on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tina Muparadzi, executive director of education and transitions at the Mastercard Foundation, explained how the foundation is working with partners such as FAWE and the Campaign for Female Education, or CAMFED, to support girls to continue their education. “The approach that the foundation uses is working with partners who understand local nuances,” Muparadzi said. “These girls are facing very unique circumstances and barriers, and understanding those barriers … is the only way to provide them access to education.”
Watch the video to hear from Mastercard Foundation’s Tina Muparadzi, FAWE’s Martha Muhwezi, CAMFED Association’s Executive Director Fiona Mavhinga, and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumna Shantel Marekera.
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