JULY 2026: Link Ethiopia participated in KIX policy workshops in Addis Ababa, alongside the Ministry of Education and other implementing partners. The event was co-organized by IDRC, in collaboration with the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub Consortium partners UNESCO IICBA, AUC IPED, and UNICEF.
Link Ethiopia’s MEL lead presented our GPE KIX project (Ethiopia/Uganda/Malawi), which researches strategies to scale gender-responsive, inclusive, and safeguarding approaches in education. The presentation focused on Link’s approach in Ethiopia, specifically:
- School leadership as a driver of education improvement
- How our integrated approach contributed to improved foundational literacy and numeracy
It demonstrates Link’s commitment to scaling, relationship with and respect from zonal, regional and national government, and recognition of Link’s gender and inclusion, school leadership and foundational skills work.
Our evidence has directly influenced the Wolaita Zone Education Office to scale GIRP, safeguarding, and instructional leadership across all woredas—driven by strong government ownership and policy alignment.
Main takeaways:
- Consensus shifted from generating evidence to using it for system-wide action.
- Holistic interventions (GIRP, SEL, girls’ clubs, coaching) are vital for reaching marginalised learners.
- Scaling means institutionalising these approaches within government systems.
As Tricia Wind (IDRC) noted: “It’s time to synthesise all the research and collaboratively put it into action.”
Victoria Kisaakye Kanobe (UNESCO institute for Capacity Building in Africa) reflected: “We deeply value this partnership and our shared commitment to ensuring that quality evidence informs education policy and practice.”
Next, the GPE KIX Hub will produce a Policy Dialogue Brief to guide continued Ministry engagement. The collected policy priorities will frame future engagement with Ministries of Education across the East Africa hub.