Mastercard Foundation to host two events at the 79th Session of UN General Assembly

The Mastercard Foundation will host two pivotal events at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) on September 22, 2024.Both gatherings will address the critical issues of girls' education and women's economic empowerment in Africa and will be held at the Millenium Hilton New York.The event will be on the themes: 'Powering Parity-Inclusive Education for a Sustainable Future' and 'Invincible: Empowering Women, Transforming Africa.'A statement issued in Accra by the Foundation said the events would showcase successful educational models and explore solutions to create a more equitable economic landscape for women in Africa.It said the theme: 'Powering Parity-Inclusive Education for a Sustainable Future' would focus on effective strategies and programs to improve young African women's learning access, outcomes, and transitions to and from secondary education.The statement said the session would also include an important announcement on the expansion of a key Mastercard Founda tion partnership focused on initiatives for girls and young women.Additionally, it will explore the pivotal role of education technology in fostering resilient and inclusive learning in Africa.It said the Mastercard Foundation was committed to accelerating access to dignified and fulfilling work for 21 million young women in Africa by 2030 as part of its Young Africa Works strategy.It said various stakeholders, including education ministries, multilateral institutions, and donors, are expected to use the key approaches highlighted at the events to accelerate impact and scale-proven solutions.The statement said confirmed attendees include Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education for Sierra Leone, Professor Birhanu Nega, Minister of Education for Ethiopia; and Hon Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for Nigeria.Madam Tina Muparadzi, Executive Director of Education and Transitions at the Mastercard Foundation, said, 'The Foundation is proud to collaborate with exceptional institutions to co-create and scale solutions that drive meaningful impact for communities.'She said their approach resonated strongly with the UNGA 79 general debate theme of leaving no one behind.Madam Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, said the importance of this work given the reality that in Sub-Saharan Africa 101million young people between the ages of six and 18 were excluded from formal education.'Yet, we have every reason to be optimistic, thanks to the extraordinary African educators and innovators, who have created solutions and are delivering quality education to young people,' Madam Roy said.She said, 'Expanding access to all has been at the heart of the Foundation's work and at these events, education champions will be sharing insights about successful policies and programmes from across Africa with each other. Working together, we can scale these solutions and remove barriers for all, especially for girls and young women.'H eld in collaboration with the African Leadership and Dialogue Institute, the panel discussion on the theme: 'Invincible: Empowering Women, Transforming Africa' will spotlight the unrivalledimpact of Africa's young women in driving economic transformation and propose bold strategies to bolster their access to equitable and affordable financing.This will be driven by a presentation of insights from the Mastercard Foundation's landmark gender report, 'Young Women in Africa: Agents of Economic Growth and Transformation by 2030.'Source: Ghana News Agency