Governments of the UNESCO Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO are now invited to nominate up to three individuals, institutions or organizations who have made outstanding contributions in favour of girls’ and women’s education.
The Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education honors outstanding innovation and contributions made by individuals, institutions and organizations to advance girls’ and women’s education.
It is the first UNESCO Prize of this nature and will be unique in showcasing successful projects that improve and promote the educational prospects of girls and women and in turn, the quality of their lives.
The Director-general of UNESCO selected the two laureates of the first edition of the Prize based on recommendations by the International Jury, composed of five experts in girls’ and women’s education.
The Prize was awarded for the first time to two outstanding projects from Indonesia and Zimbabwe at an official ceremony held in Beijing, P.R. China in June 2016.
About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. our programs contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
Political and economic arrangements of governments are not enough to secure the lasting and sincere support of the peoples.
Requirements for UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education Qualification
In addition to these three criteria, the project/program should:
- Have already been running for at least two years.
- Show evidence that it may be replicable, scalable and/or provide significant learning potential for initiatives in other contexts.
- Contribute to one or more of the five priority action areas of the Prize:
- supporting girls/adolescent girls to transition from primary education to lower secondary education and to complete full basic education.
- supporting adolescent girls and young women to acquire literacy skills.
- supporting the creation of a gender-responsive and safe teaching-learning environment, free of school-related gender-based violence.
- engaging female and male teachers to develop gender-responsive teaching attitudes and practices and be change agents; or
- supporting adolescent girls and young women to acquire knowledge and skills for them to adequately transition from school to work and lead a fulfilling life.
Interview date, Process and Venue for UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education
The two Prize winners will be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO based on recommendations made by the independent International Jury of the UNESC Prize on Girls’ and Women’s Education consisting of five experts from all geographical regions. The project/program of the nominee will be assessed by the Jury based on the following criteria:
- Impact: The project/program’s impact should be qualitatively and/or quantitatively measurable, and deliver tangible results relative to the invested resources. This can include demonstrable changes in: (1) attitudes, beliefs and practices toward gender equality; (2) girls’ educational participation, attendance, completion and learning outcomes; and/or (3) other relevant parameters to advance girls’ and women’s education.
- Innovation: The project/program is stimulating, and/or drawing on, innovative approaches advancing girls’ and women’s education. This includes new ways of working where “business as usual” has failed, and transformative “out-of-the-box” thinking and actions. The project/program can demonstrate innovation in terms of: (1) the themes covered; (2) the methodology employed; (3) the channels used to create change for girls and women; and/or (4) other aspects.
- Sustainability: The project/program has taken steps, ideally from its design or implementation phases, to ensure it will have a lasting impact beyond the project lifecycle. This may include efforts to ensure the: (1) continuation of local action; (2) institutionalization of project components; and (3) generation of further initiatives as a result of the project/program.
How to Apply
Governments of UNESCO Member States via their Permanent Delegations to UNESCO and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO can make up to 3 nominations. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Who can be nominated?
Individuals, institutions, or organizations advancing girls’ and women’s education are eligible for nomination. Nominations must focus on an established project or program of the candidate, which has been running for at least two years, and meets the selection criteria.
How to be nominated?
Self-nominations are not accepted. If you, your institution, or organization meet the selection criteria, please contact your country’s National Commission to UNESCO or a relevant NGO in official Partnership with UNESCO.
Please check the Prize’s explanatory note for more information.
How to nominate?
- Nominations can be submitted via the dedicated online platform in English or French by a National Commission or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO of the concerned Member State, or by an NGO in official partnership with UNESCO.
Nominations submitted by a Member State’s National Commission must be validated by the Permanent Delegation.
nominations from an NGO in official partnership with U N E S C O must be validated by the organization’s headquarters. Nominations from country branches or affiliated offices will not be accepted. - National Commissions and Permanent Delegations to us may access the online submissions platform through their official account using the following link: http://unesco.org/gwe.
NGOs in official partnership with U N E S C O will be granted direct access to the online platform by the Secretariat upon request. To request access, please contact [email protected]. - Member States and NGOs in official partnership may request that candidates complete the online nomination form directly.
Access to the platform will be granted to candidates by the Prize Secretariat upon request from the nominating entity (National Commission, Permanent Delegation or NGO in official Partnership with U N E S C O ). Requests should be sent to [email protected] by 15 May 2023. Once the online form is completed by the candidate, the nominating entity will be required to review and validate the submission. - Nominations must be submitted via the online platform by midnight of 19 May 2023 (UTC+1, Paris time). Kindly note that a nominating entity (Member State or NGO in official partnership with U N E S C O) may not submit more than three nominations.
For any question regarding the U N E S C O Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education or the submission process, please contact the Secretariat of the Prize at the Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality at [email protected].
For more details, visit UNESCO website.
