The Gambia Teachers Union – GTU (a member of the Education and Solidarity Network) has partnered with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation – CTF (an affiliate of Education International) to develop and implement an empowerment project for Gambian women teachers.
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On the African continent, the shortage of teachers is steadily increasing and particularly impacts rural and remote areas.
Having identified that female teachers face more gender-related social barriers when considering moving to these remote areas, GTU and CTF decided to set up a mentoring solution in The Gambia.
The aim was to support Gambian women teachers in working in rural areas on a long-term basis, by reducing their feelings of isolation and professional stagnation through the use of technology.
Mobile phones were provided, facilitating connection to professional learning communities (PLCs) that offered a variety of content via WhatsApp, Zoom, podcasts, and videos.
As a result of this initiative, 84% of the coached teachers reported that they were more likely to continue in the teaching profession in the long term (compared to 70% at the beginning).
Read more about this project here.