16. The issues of schooling and gender equality in Africa: progress and difficulties in implementing SDGs 4 and 5.

The difficulties are of various kinds and geographical, political, economic and socio-cultural factors interfere with implementation, even though in general the legislation that frames education and gender equality as rights exists. The role of the state in the framework is undeniable and efforts have been made, but most of the diagnostic reports on the situation show that the desired objectives are far from being achieved. The description of specific contexts, the diagnostic analysis of problems, the proposal of new procedures to overcome particularly complex situations, the identification of key interlocutors, the definition of intervention tools and the validation of relevant evaluation tools are all steps that contribute to creating knowledge that can have an impact on intervention to achieve SDGs 4 and 5, namely girls’ access to and retention in secondary education and overcoming the barriers that accentuate gender inequality. The communications, focused on SDGs 4 and 5, should focus on the presentation of contexts and/or diagnoses that allow reflection on the solutions tested.