Empowering Women and Girls: A Community-Led Approach to Gender Equality, Inclusion, and Open Learning Communities

[POSTER] The Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) Project, implemented by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), enhances gender equality, education, and socio-economic empowerment in marginalized communities. The project builds resilient learning communities by mobilizing Local Support Groups (LSGs), traditional leaders, parents, and peer networks to advocate for girls' education and women's rights while addressing early marriage, school dropouts, and economic barriers. Through collaborative learning and shared practice, the project has: - Enrolled 208 out-of-school girls and 32 boys into formal and non-formal education. - Trained 5467 women in vocational and leadership skills, promoting financial independence. - Established 25 LSGs, fostering gender-inclusive decision-making. - Engaged 5,000+ individuals through awareness sessions on rights and civic participation. The EWG Project underscores the importance of resilience and collective action. It demonstrates that sustainable impact is best achieved when diverse community members-ranging from local leaders to family networks-engage in continuous learning, share best practices, and collaborate in public-private partnerships. This presentation will showcase evidence-based insights, highlight key lessons learned, and discuss replicable strategies for building robust communities of practice that thrive on collaboration, innovation, and inclusive education. PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education Paper ID: 0826