PREFACE
The millions of girls out of primary schools in Africa is concrete evidence of the shortcomings in our efforts to establish national education systems as well as an indication of the distance between the present situation and achieving education for all targets. As we approach the twenty-first century, marking nearly forty years of independence for many African countries, the priority is to redress this situation, allowing women to take their rightful place in the social and economic development of the region. The Pan-African Conference on the Education of Girls held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 28 March to 1 April, was a catalyst for action to be taken on a national scale and in the African region as a whole. Countries have undertaken innovations and pilot projects, but not on the scale required to reach the millions of out-of-school girls. It is now time for national planners to give priority to girls education through defined targets, adequate budgetary allocations, appropriate strategies and monitoring mechanisms. The Ouagadougou Declaration and Framework for Action are the outcome of the speeches, presentations and the various conference documents. It is intended to inform countries and agencies of those areas for development which were given high priority during the Conference. It is recognized, however, that each country must identify its own priorities in the context of the education of girls. Although the document discusses only those issues which attracted maximum dialogue among conference participants, the general concerns are reflected in the framework for action. Countries will need to assess their own socio-cultural and, economic situation in determining effective strategies for girls education. Nevertheless, the document highlights some country experiences and other countries may learn more about them through horizontal co-operation. The magnitude of the challenge underscores the need for national commitment and for recognition of girls’