CJI supports Jesuit partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America who are helping to advance women’s equality
Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) joins the world in celebrating International Women’s Day, March 8, and in urging national and international institutions and industries to heed this year’s theme to “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
CJI supports Jesuit partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America who are helping to advance women’s equality through programs that address education, ecology and sustainability, human rights, and more.
We highlight the women CJI has worked with who help pave the way for gender equality in their communities. Click here
CJI is aware that all the programs and initiatives it supports will have bigger and more lasting impact, if they are designed and implemented with a gender perspective, and if they aim towards greater equity. It is well known that poverty has a woman’s face, and unless this is recognized and address, it is not possible to achieve justice and peace.
A student at Mazzolari Teachers Training College. Photo: AOR
In Africa, for example, the Jesuits of Eastern Africa help address South Sudan’s high illiteracy rate through the Mazzolari Teachers Training College, which equips instructors with more skills so they can teach better. More than 70% of South Sudan’s population above the age of 15 is illiterate, and majority of them are women, according to UNESCO. Most of those trained at the college come from Jesuit secondary schools, which encourage the enrollment of girls, in particular.
CJI also supports other programs of the Jesuit province, including the Loyola Memorial School, an agricultural institute and vocational training, for both girls and boys. These are just some expressions of a larger commitment of the Jesuits in Africa, which includes the Bakhita Partnership for Education that works to advance girls’ access to quality education in Africa.
CJI supports these programs because education is a human right. Many women and girls are often denied this right because of their gender, and because of poverty, cultural identity, disability, religion, and forced displacement. Lack of public investment or lack of government resources also hinder the delivery of free, quality, and safe education for all.
CJI also believes that a gender-equal education is critical. When girls have access to quality and safe education as much as boys do, it contributes to more progress and stability in societies and the world.
In line with its commitment to gender-equal education, this spring, CJI will host a Youth for Others (Y4O) Symposium with the theme, Education: Her right, our future. The symposium will gather young people from various backgrounds and regions across Canada to learn, develop leadership and advocate for girls’ education.
#inspireinclusion #HerRightOurFuture
