The UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) organized a four-day training workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Teacher Education Policy. The training was based on the outcome of the assessment of teacher education policy conducted in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. It took place at the premise of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Africa (BREDA), Dakar, Senegal, from October 4th to 7th, 2011.
The major objectives of the workshop were to aware participants of the need for gender mainstreaming and equip them with the knowledge and procedures of gender mainstreaming in teacher education policies. Seventeen participants from Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal attended the workshop. The participants were directors (heads) of teacher education in Ministries of Education, individuals working on policy planning and formulation, gender directors or focal persons in the Ministries, and relevant experts.
The workshop was a hands on experience where gender issues in teacher education were explored and teacher education policies were critically looked at with the aim of, eventually, gender mainstreaming. At the end of the workshop, participants designed an action plan that will be implemented in their respective countries.