A joint UN project aimed at promoting and improving access to education for Mauritanian girls is to be launched soon, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reported on Wednesday. The US $1.5-million project hopes to encourage more girls to go to school by building infrastructure, including residential halls for girls, making curricula more gender-neutral, and offering income-generating projects for those living in extremely poor areas.
The girls will also complement their learning by participating in communal development projects, UNDP said. Breaking down stereotypes and a tradition of giving low value to girls’ education, alleviating poverty and building sufficient infrastructure are major obstacles to be overcome for the project’s success. Early marriage and motherhood are also factors that have kept girls out of the classroom, the UN agency said.
UNFPA, WHO, WFP, UNAIDS and UNICEF are also participating in the initiative.
The project coincides with a recent decision by the Mauritanian government to make primary schooling compulsory.
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