DOHA: The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), held a session at the recent European Development Days (EDD), Europe’s leading forum on international co-operation and development.
EDD has been organised annually by the European Commission since 2006, attracting more than 8,000 participants from over 140 countries. The participants representing 1,200 organisations from the development community share ideas and experiences to inspire new partnerships and innovate solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
The theme this year was ‘Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development: protect, empower, invest’. The agenda addressed economic and social rights, physical and psychological integrity, and strengthening girls’ and women’s voice and participation.
This issue is important and urgent, as UNDP statistics show that women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, yet earn only 10 percent of the income, with an average of only 60–75 percent of men’s wages. The WISE session, ‘Empowering Women to be Change-Makers,’ highlighted the ripple effect of investing in education for girls and equipping them with the necessary skills to lead and change.
The session was selected from an international call for contributions, and marks the second time that WISE has participated in EDD.
WISE has previously hosted notable politicians, including Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, and Andrea Vassiliou, former European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, in Doha, Qatar. WISE seeks to continue this ongoing dialogue and collaboration with EU institutions.
