Peking University, October 19, 2021: On October 15, 2021, the ceremony of 2021 UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education was held online. Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and special envoy of UNESCO attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. The formal award ceremony was followed by the launch of the UNESCO-Peking University Joint Project on Health Education for Girls in Africa, which is strongly sponsored by the Oriental Cambridge Education Group.
Firmin Edouard Matoko, assistant director-general of the Africa Department of UNESCO, Tian Xuejun, vice minister of Education of China and director of the National Commission of China for UNESCO, and PKU President Hao Ping attended the launching ceremony and gave speeches.
The newly launched project aims at advancing health education for girls in Africa. It is also an active attempt for PKU to deepen cooperation with UNESCO and contribute to the construction of shared future of mankind.
Group Photo
At the launching ceremony, Matoko pointed out that the large-scale school closures due to COVID-19 has caused 11 million girls in Africa out of school, which has threatened the existing efforts to achieve gender equality and deprived girls in Africa of comprehensive health education and medical service. Matoko praised the UNESCO-PKU cooperation and thanked PKU for striving to improve education for girls in Africa.
Tian Xuejun also endorsed the significance of the project in promoting gender equality in education and global sustainable development.
Tian Xuejun
Hao Ping emphasized the importance of unity at a time of chance and challenge. He promised that PKU would go to all lengths on the new China-Africa collaborative project in health education for girls and hopes this project to be a start to promote education in Africa for children and women.
Hao Ping
Makoto and Hao Ping showing the cooperation agreement
The ceremony then segued into a panel discussion on the promotion of education, health, protection and rights for girls in Africa. Professor Ma Yinghua, the PKU team coordinator of the newly launched joint project, spoke about the goals, schedules plans and special plans in the COVID era of the project.
Ma Yinghua
Further Reading:
Established in 2015 by UNESCO and supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of gender equality in education. The prize is awarded annually to two laureates, and this year it goes to EPREGRAMA from Brazil and Girl MOVE Academy from Mozambique.
Written by: An Xinyu
Edited by: Ye Yimeng
Source: PKU News (Chinese), Xinhua News Agency
