Luanda – Angolan President of the Republic João Lourenço defended Friday in Luanda greater attention to the education of girls, particularly in rural areas.
The Head of State was speaking at the opening of the public event to publicise the Girl Empowerment and Learning for All Project (PAT II).
According to him, the commitment is justified as the factors linked to gender, especially in the rural areas, negatively impact on the access and permanence in school, as well as school promotion.
He pointed out that the partnership with the World Bank, started in 2013, with the Learning for All Project (PAT I), gains new impetus with the Girl Empowerment Project and Learning for All (PAT II). It is estimated at 250 million dollars for the next five years.
Mitigate the causes of school dropout
President João Lourenço pointed to early pregnancy as one of the main causes of school dropout, and defended the need to combat it through the promotion of sexual education and reproductive health for girls, in the communities where they live.
He said that PAT II aims to contribute to improving the quality of education in Angola, and is a timely response in the particular context of the Covid-19 pandemic, to strengthen the resilience of the education system.
According to the Angolan statesman, this project also aims to find innovative solutions for children, young people and adults, to ensure the right to education.
Call for teamwork
In his speech, João Lourenço also urged teamwork between the ministerial departments of Education, Health, Finance, Social Welfare, Family and Women Promotion, as well as Energy and Water.
According to the President, teamwork should also involve the Ministry of Youth and Sports, provincial governments and municipal administrations, in order to achieve the expected results.
Source: Angola Press News Agency