The Educate HER Coalition, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, has opened a new chapter in the fight to strengthen girls' education in Liberia, unveiling the first national Girls' Education Scorecard while calling for renewed, collective action to dismantle the barriers that continue to keep thousands of girls out of school.
Stakeholders Unite to Review Progress and Set New Priorities The two-day national stakeholders' dialogue brought together development partners, lawmakers, civil society leaders, educators, and government officials to assess progress under the National Policy on Girls' Education (NPGE) and outline strategies to improve access, retention, safety and learning outcomes for girls across the country. The Educate HER project is funded through the Education Out Loud Initiative under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
During the opening session, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah launched the 2025 Girls' Education Scorecard, the first of its kind, highlighting developments across 21 indicators covering school access, retention, quality, system performance, and protection issues.
Scorecard Highlights Systemic Barriers
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The National Policy on Girls' Education takes an expansive approach to tackling persistent obstacles such as early marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, harmful cultural practices, and economic inequalities. According to the MOE, these barriers remain among the biggest contributors to school dropout rates among adolescent girls. Minister Jallah: "This Policy Is a Promise to Our Daughters" In her address, Minister Jallah stressed that the policy is more than a framework--it represents Liberia's promise to its girls. "This is not just a document. It is our commitment to our daughters, sisters, and mothers to provide them the tools to reach their potential and contribute meaningfully to Liberia's development," she said. She appealed for stronger collaboration among partners and communities, emphasizing that successful implementation depends on shared responsibility.
The ministry, she added, will continue leveraging the dialogue's momentum to deepen cooperation and accelerate progress. Dialogue Zeroes In on Enrollment, Retention, and Learning Quality Discussions centered on strategies to increase enrollment--particularly in rural and under-served areas--while addressing key drivers of dropout, including teenage pregnancy, financial constraints, and limited parental support. Participants also emphasized the need to strengthen school safety and improve teaching and learning outcomes for girls.
The gathering underscored a push for stronger monitoring and evaluation systems, with regular reporting to ensure transparency and active involvement from civil society and development partners.
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Working Groups to Develop Action Plans
One key outcome of the dialogue will be the creation of multiple working groups tasked with crafting targeted action plans to overcome challenges identified in the discussions. These recommendations will be integrated into the Ministry of Education's upcoming strategic plans, guiding ongoing implementation of the NPGE. The Educate HER Coalition is coordinated by Helping Our People Excel Liberia and the Paramount Young Women Initiative, supported by Education Out Loud and funded by the Global Partnership for Education.
