Team Blitz India
Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell has announced a groundbreaking £45 million initiative aimed at transforming higher education for young people, with a particular focus on women and girls.
The Strengthening Higher Education for Female Empowerment (SHEFE) programme, launched on 20th May, at the Education World Forum, seeks to benefit 1 million young individuals, enhancing their opportunities and employability.
Hailing education as the basis for empowerment of women and girls, Mitchell highlighted the UK’s dedication to creating opportunities for women and girls to succeed in various professional fields by eliminating gender-based barriers. “The UK is ensuring that the next generation of female teachers, doctors, inventors and leaders can unlock their potential without being held back by gender bias and discrimination,” Mitchell said. The SHEFE programme will forge 12 partnerships involving businesses, universities, and governments across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
These collaborations aim to dismantle barriers hindering women and girls from pursuing higher education. Key obstacles such as unsafe learning environments and the quality of higher education will be addressed, creating a more conducive atmosphere for female students. The SHEFE programme will support women and girls by investing in initiatives to reduce gender-based violence; promoting the uptake of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects among female students; and strengthening research on gender equality, violence prevention, and employability.
Since 2015, the UK has supported nearly 20 million children, half of whom are girls, in gaining a decent education. The SHEFE initiative builds on the success of the Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) programme launched in 2016. SPHEIR’s dynamic partnerships strengthened higher education in 16 countries, benefiting over 1 million students. This included direct support for 12,500 refugees and displaced young people in Jordan and Lebanon, as well as 12,000 students from Myanmar through online courses.
