Sisters for Sisters’ Education

The Sisters for Sisters’ Education project supported 7,382 girls and was implemented by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Nepal.

The project worked in schools with high drop-out rates amongst girls and absenteeism. Barriers to girls’ progressing in education included the prevalence of harmful social norms and traditional practices. Chhaupadi is one such practice which isolates girls while they are menstruating. Whilst this practice is illegal, it is still practiced in some communities. Other barriers were the high rates of child marriage, high household chore burdens, and the low decision-making power of girls. The cost of education was also a major barrier for households in poverty. A lack of quality education that is responsive to girls’ needs is also an issue and schools in project communities were often poorly resourced.

This project worked with 64 schools to improve the education of marginalised girls, helping them to transition from primary to secondary school, and leave school ready to continue their education or secure sustainable employment. The project supported girls’ transition from school into either livelihood-related employment or the next phase of their education. A mentoring approach was at the heart of the project, whereby Little Sisters were supported and mentored by senior girls known as ‘Big Sisters’ in their academics to boost their self-efficacy and deal with everyday challenges.

Main activities

• Developing a Big Sisters' mentoring scheme to support girls in lower grades.
• Establishing 9-month bridge courses and remedial classes for out-of-school girls who wanted to return to school.
• Establishing a national Girls' Education Network with several partners to share best practices and influence policy.
• Setting up non-formal Girls' Clubs including English and ‘Digital for Girls' Education’ (EDGE) training, life skills, career guidance and training in business skills and financial literacy.
• Providing teacher training on gender-sensitive and child-friendly approaches and training school management and governance bodies to improve planning and child protection.

The project in numbers

Lessons learned 

It is important that the teacher training activities offer continuous support and monitoring rather than being a one-off activity. Also, coordination with schools and local governments is key for replicating best practices and sharing skills and knowledge among teachers who were and were not part of the teacher training.

Extra-curricular activities help build girls’ self-esteem and confidence. These included poem competitions, quizzes, debates and school fairs. They created opportunities for girls to develop self-confidence and to develop broader life skills and knowledge needed for success in life.

Involve girls, communities and governments in education programming to ensure interventions are relevant to the local context. Girls’ education programmes should consider the needs of girls throughout its various phases, from design to closure. These needs are context-specific and should be based on evidence rather than on a one-size-fit-all approach. Girls’ needs may vary from district to district. Involving the community in the design phase helps ensure mutual ownership of the project activities

It is important to consider and address the needs of the most marginalised when designing and implementing a girls’ education programme. This includes the communities’ needs, barriers to education, economic hardships and lack of access to employment opportunities. These barriers contribute to further perpetuating the gender discrimination and inequality if not addressed.

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): https://www.vsointernational.org/