**4.3 Actions implemented**

In the dynamics of the economic empowerment of girls through TVET, the actions, described below, have been carried out within the framework of the Project supported by the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) [10]. Indeed, with the leadership of the Forum des Educatrices de Guinée/Forum For African Women Educationalists (FEG/FAWE), the so-called "DANIDA" project was initiated and implemented thanks to the technical and financial support of the Danish Agency of Cooperation. It proposed to continue efforts to encourage girls to attend non-traditional sectors and particularly technological sectors where great prospects in terms of socio-professional integration are offered in view of the enormous economic potential and investments, particularly in agriculture and the mining sector.

The objectives of the project were:


To achieve these objectives, the following activities were carried out: (i) Institutional assessment of TVET institutions with a view to selecting those to host the project; (ii) Sensitization and advocacy; (iii) Organization of training sessions; (iv) Support and subsidy for girls and partner TVET institutions, including girl-mothers, so that they can attend training institutions and be able to explain the cause of early pregnancies as well as the appropriate measures to avoid them; (v) Development of a code of conduct on gender issues; (vi) Social marketing (advertising posters); (vii) Establishment of "TUSEME" clubs (explained below) and (viii) Conduct of the review of national technical education and vocational training policies from a gender perspective.

The successful experiences of the "DANIDA" project are identified on the basis of the relevance of the actions carried out which deserve to be shared and capitalized on with a view to their sustainability. They have been put under the label of "good

practices or successful experiences", some of which are: (i) establishment of institutional partnerships, (ii) awareness-raising, (iii) gender-sensitive pedagogy, (iv) establishment of "tuseme" club, (v) development of a code of conduct. These best practices are described below.

#### **4.4 Establishment of institutional partnerships**

The establishment of a partnership is identified as a successful experience. Indeed, in modern societies, all sectors currently tend to value partnerships. And the education sector is no exception. The partnership according to Laroche quoted by André Moreau [11] is a way to build the future. To develop, the society of today and tomorrow needs the creative forces of as many people as possible. It will be necessary to trust collective intelligence to find the right solutions. The world of education is invited to rapprochements and collaboration that can only be beneficial to all. This philosophy is valid in the issue of gender in TVET for which partnership has many cardinal virtues.

Indeed, for Moreau [11], faced with a problem, a team that works collectively will be able to adapt its structures and strategies to respond to new situations. The partnership network set up around the issue of gender in TVET deserves to be strengthened in a dynamic of resource pooling and synergy in actions. Within the framework of the project, two types of partnership are worth mentioning. The partnership with the five TVET training institutions and the strategic one with the ministry in charge of TVET. These partnerships have made it possible to develop a culture of sharing gender issues in TVET.

#### **4.5 Awareness**

Communities are of paramount importance in the education process. Aware of this fact, encouraging parents/guardians to become actively involved in supporting learners/beneficiaries and supporting the learning process deserves to be pursued. Indeed, sensitizing and raising the awareness of parents and community leaders on the importance of ensuring that girls access, maintain and complete training has beneficial effects. Making every effort to encourage parents/guardians to provide moral and financial support to learners is a practice to be encouraged. Also, the right of parents/guardians to be informed about the well-being and progress of learners/ beneficiaries should be granted and promoted through consultation mechanisms.

Sensitization targets: (i) girl learners; (ii) partner TVET institutions; (iii) communities; (iv) opinion leaders; (v) the ETFP department; (vi) members of the steering committee; (vii) the Guinea National Coalition for Education For All. This coalition is a civil society organization, a partner of the Forum des Éducatrices de Guinée (FEG). In this awareness-raising action, initially planned for 600 community members and parents with a view to getting them to support TVET initiatives for girls, more than 900 members were finally reached. At the level of partner TVET institutions, all categories of staff (teachers, non-teachers, learners) have been targeted and affected.

#### **4.6 Gender-sensitive pedagogy (PSG)**

To enable teachers to resist the weight of prejudices and to enlighten their actions in the fight against factors unfavorable to gender, they must be given the means to

undertake concrete actions, in order to remedy the shortcomings and reinforce the achievements, to implement effective strategies to overcome the difficulties that hinder women's education.

#### **4.7 Establishment of "TUSEME" clubs**

In many African communities, girls are raised to be both submissive and obedient, which has the effect of hampering their level of participation in the classroom, and this treatment ultimately affects their exam results. Nationals. However, when girls are empowered enough to express their own opinions, they become able to overcome gender-based constraints, particularly those imposed by tradition and/or other cultural considerations.

For FAWE, "girls need to be personally involved in efforts to eliminate the discrimination and inequalities they face in school, as well as in the local community if they are to achieve meaningful transformation. Gender relations".

One of FAWE's flagship models is the "TUSEME" initiative, which stands for "Let us Speak Out" for Youth Empowerment. It uses developmental strategic alliance techniques to address concerns that hinder girls' development, both socially and academically. Through the "TUSEME" clubs, the girls receive training that enables them to identify and understand the problems that concern them, to articulate these problems, and finally, to take action to solve them.

As part of the implementation of the project, the constitution of these clubs was effective in the five partner institutions. The average number was 50, including 20 boys. These clubs are sponsored by the directors of vocational and technical training institutions. In these clubs, girls learn to negotiate, express themselves, gain self-confidence, make decisions, and finally acquire skills enabling them to take on responsibilities. This had the following repercussions: (i) an improvement in girls' self-confidence and their ability to take on responsibilities, their social skills, and those necessary for daily life; (ii) a positive change in the attitude of teachers toward girls; (iii) a significant reduction in acts of harassment and violence.

#### **4.8 Development, publication, and dissemination of a code of conduct**

With the aim of having high standards in the various areas of school life and concerned with maintaining the spirit of good discipline, a strong work ethic for good completion, and the establishment of good partnership relations, a code of conduct has been developed and disseminated. This instrument describes in clear terms the rights and duties of all actors involved in gender issues in TVET. Its application must be a point of honor for all. The success in obtaining a written commitment from stakeholders to respect the code of conduct is to be welcomed and considered as good practice. The code of conduct has defined the roles and responsibilities of each actor, some of which are listed in the **Table 3**:

In addition, other no less important initiatives concern the establishment of incentive programs for female clients, namely:

a.The establishment of the Women Science and Technology (FST) program has made it possible to interest young girls in technological branches, such as ENAM (National School of Arts and Trades), CFP (Professional Training Center), and ENAE (National School of Agriculture and Livestock). In this regard, the enrollment rate for girls has doubled, from 5–10% in 2 years.

*Perspective Chapter: Technical and Vocational Training Policies and Practices Facing... DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112446*


#### **Table 3.**

*Roles and responsibilities of partners.*


At the institutional level, it is good practice to create and support a specific structure mandated to ensure the management of gender issues and equity in technical education and vocational training. Indeed, the creation of the gender and equity committee in TVET (COGETEP), since its creation, has developed and implemented action plans on the issue of gender equity.
