EELL 2026 African Region Conference
"Empowering Women and Girls for a Sustainable Future: Lifelong Learning in Environmental Stewardship"
Introduction
The 2026 Africa Regional Conference on Environmental Education and Lifelong Learning, scheduled for July 23-24 in Ghana, West Africa, is a key platform for advancing sustainable development across the continent. Convened by the Pan African Centre for Climate Policy, the conference adopts the overarching theme, “Empowering Women and Girls for a Sustainable Future: Lifelong Learning in Environmental Stewardship,” emphasizing Africa-specific challenges and opportunities. It aims to foster transformative dialogue and collaborative action at the intersection of gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability, tailored to Africa’s unique socio-economic and environmental contexts.
Background and Rationale
Africa faces a convergence of environmental crises, including climate variability, desertification, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity, which threaten livelihoods and development progress. Women and girls in Africa are disproportionately impacted—bearing the brunt of climate impacts in sectors such as agriculture, water management, and health—yet they are also critical drivers of resilience and change.
Statistics highlight the urgency:
- Countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria experience frequent climate-related disasters, with Mozambique facing an average of 2.5 extreme weather events annually over the past decade (Global Climate Risk Index 2021).
- Women constitute up to 80% of those engaged in climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, but often lack access to lifelong learning opportunities that could bolster adaptive capacity.
- Only 35% of environmental science researchers worldwide are women, and in many African countries, secondary school completion rates for girls are approximately 50% lower than boys, limiting their participation in environmental decision-making.
- Digital divides persist, restricting rural women and girls’ access to environmental literacy tools and information.
This edition recognizes Africa’s rich cultural diversity and indigenous knowledge systems as vital assets in environmental stewardship. It seeks to harness these assets through gender-responsive, contextually relevant education strategies, promoting local leadership and innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
- Highlight the critical role of lifelong learning in empowering African women and girls as key agents of environmental resilience.
- Promote gender-sensitive, culturally inclusive education policies and community-based programs.
- Share successful grassroots initiatives and innovative practices tailored to African contexts.
- Foster regional and continental collaboration to mainstream gender equality within lifelong learning frameworks.
- - Develop actionable policy recommendations to embed gender considerations into environmental education at national and continental levels.
Increased awareness and prioritization of gender-inclusive environmental education across Africa.
Commitment from governments and stakeholders to implement and scale gender-sensitive lifelong learning initiatives.
Strengthened networks for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and joint action among African practitioners, policymakers, and communities.
Policy frameworks and recommendations tailored to African realities for mainstreaming gender in environmental education.
- Concrete action plans for ongoing collaboration, monitoring, and evaluation of gender and environmental education initiatives.
Integrating gender and indigenous knowledge perspectives into curricula and community programs, especially in vulnerable regions such as the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes.
Building capacities of women and girls in climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, water management, and renewable energy.
Promoting women’s leadership in environmental governance, policy-making, and community decision-making processes.
Leveraging digital technologies and media to increase environmental literacy among women and girls, with particular focus on rural and underserved areas.
Strengthening policies aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), ensuring they are contextually appropriate and inclusive.
- African governments and policymakers
- Educational institutions, educators, and community trainers
- Environmental organizations, NGOs, and grassroots groups
- Gender advocates and women’s rights organizations
- Youth leaders and community stakeholders
- Researchers, academics, and indigenous knowledge holders
- Media and communication outlets
- Keynote Addresses by African and global leaders on gender, education, and climate resilience.
- Panel Discussions addressing regional challenges, solutions, and innovations.
- Interactive Workshops on culturally relevant best practices, digital tools, and policy advocacy.
- Breakout Sessions focusing on regional hot spots such as the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and coastal zones.
- Networking Events to foster partnerships across sectors and borders.
- Cultural and Artistic Performances celebrating African women’s contributions and cultural diversity.
- Pre-conference campaigns leveraging social media, webinars, and community outreach, emphasizing Africa-specific issues.
- Partnerships with regional bodies such as the African Union, NEPAD, and continental NGOs.
- Virtual participation options to include remote, rural, and marginalized communities.
- Post-conference follow-up through regional working groups, publication of proceedings, and progress tracking to ensure sustained impact.
By centering Africa’s unique environmental, social, and cultural contexts, this conference aspires to catalyze transformative action, foster cross-sector partnerships, and embed gender-sensitive lifelong learning as a cornerstone of sustainable environmental stewardship across Africa and beyond.