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SAARC
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Established in 1994, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan).
About 1 billion people live in rural areas in South Asia. As a result, the region's economy depends heavily on agriculture. Half of the region's population still lacks access to electricity. A large segment of the population is low-income, with growing contrasts to an expanding number of middle-income earners. The region is marked by conflict.
South Asia has experienced nearly a decade of strong economic growth, translated into declining poverty and impressive progress on human development. However, deteriorating global economy has in recent years considerably weakened growth prospects.
Educational Context
No South Asian country is close to achieving EFA goals. In India and Bangladesh, the total primary net enrollment rates are around 95%, offset by the low adult literacy rates and survival rates to grade 5. In Pakistan and Nepal, primary school participation is low, adult literacy and gender disparities and inequalities in education are pervasive, and education quality is poor. At 14%, women’s literacy rates in Afghanistan fall far below the rates of men at 50%.
While access to and participation in primary schooling has increased since 1999, slow progression through school and failure to complete the primary cycle remain major concerns. The region recorded 17 million out-of-school children in 2005, a dramatic decline from 31 million in 1999. The number of adults lacking basic literacy skills remains high; for instance, the literacy rate remains below 50% in Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan |
While progress toward gender parity in both primary and secondary education was noteworthy in India and Nepal, disparities in access continue to affect girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Good quality teaching and learning remains a major challenge for all countries in the regions, with high trained teacher shortages and large in-country disparities.
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008
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CTF Partner Name:
Teacher Population:
Number of Reported Members: |
Education International (Asia regional office)
SAARC Women’s Network
5,481,000 (membership of 19 affiliates)
235,000 | Partner Objectives
- To ensure adequate and proportionate participation of women in membership and decision-making of the teachers’ organization in the SAARC;
- To create greater awareness and self-confidence among women teachers and members;
- To develop mechanism to improve and ensure regular communication at all levels within and outside the organizations and strengthen the women’s network / communication structures in the SAARC;
- To influence the attitude of women teachers, create unity among them and raise their status in teachers’ organizations, education and society;
- To mobilize women teachers on the importance of girls education and implementation of quality public Education for All;
- To increase the influence and participation of women in the unions at all levels in the SAARC region;
- To increase the awareness level of women in the SAARC on the issues concerning women such as Maternity Protection Benefits (MPB), legal rights, violence against women, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, migration, etc.;
- To promote gender equality and equal opportunities for women in the SAARC region;
- To motivate women teachers to participate actively in the promotion of quality public education for all with particular emphasis on the education of the girl child;
- To mainstream the women’s network and its activities in the union.
CTF Support
Through the SAARC Women’s Network, CTF supports the Education International Policy Declaration on Women in Education and Teacher Organizations, which encourages its members to take action in order to eliminate socio-cultural stereotypes and gender inequality within the education system, teacher organizations and society.
Fourteen EI Affiliates from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka form the SAARC Women’s Network, believing that networking is a powerful advocacy tool for the advancement of girls and women’s rights. The Network addresses the challenge of active participation of women in the unions, both at the decision making and membership levels. It advocates for equality for women in the teaching profession and in the schools, and promotes better Maternity Protection Benefits in line with ILO conventions, particularly for women teachers. Through various campaigns, workshops, seminars and publications on topics such as violence against girls and women, gender discrimination and girls’ education, teacher organization leaders claim the rights of girls and women to live as equal, with dignity and respect.
CTF/Partner Activities
- Gender Equality - workshops, seminars, campaigns, research and publication
In South Asia, the teaching profession is predominantly dominated by women, especially at the primary and elementary levels. The number of women teachers is quite high, with the exception of Nepal where the women constitute less than 30% of the teaching force. However, this high percentage of women teachers is reflected neither at the administration level in the teaching profession nor in the leadership of teacher unions. Through series of gender awareness seminars as well as basic and advanced union leadership seminars, CTF is supporting efforts to sensitize, organize and train women for positions of leadership within teacher organizations.
In partnership with other civil society groups, South Asian teacher organizations led campaigns coordinated by the Network and aimed at the improvement of Maternity Protection Benefits.
Other major challenges affecting women and girls are violence in the homes, schools and at the workplace, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and many others. As part of campaigns to bring about positive changes in society, the South Asia Women’s Network conducts research on a variety of issues such as trafficking of women, girls and children, sexual harassment at the workplace and gender stereotyped role in curriculum. The Network organizes special workshops on gender issues such as Violence Against Women and Girls and developed material to promote the enrollment and retention of girls and schools. Network leaders also advocate for ending the stigmatization of HIV and AIDS victims and their family.
AIACHE, of India, conducts every year a series of events in colleges from different states aimed at fighting discriminatory practices against girls and women, such as female feticide, child marriages, dowry system and bride burning, Sati, etc.
The network publishes two regional newsletters per year as well as various types of training and study materials and campaign materials.
CTF funds support regional activities of the networks as well as programs implemented by teacher organizations in India.
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