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Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations = (FAO)

Date: 06 Sep 2005

Education for the rural poor is crucial in Africa - Ministerial = meeting=20 opens in Addis Ababa this week

6 September = 2005, Rome=20 - "Education is the most effective way to empower the rural = poor to=20 get out of poverty and to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals = are met=20 in sub-Saharan Africa," according to FAO.=20

In a paper to be presented at a ministerial seminar in Addis Abeba = (7-9=20 September 2005), the UN agency underlines the critical role of = agriculture and=20 highlights the important contribution of education for sustainable = development=20 and for eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas.=20

"Illiteracy is a correlate of poverty and hunger and is mainly a = rural=20 phenomenon which hinders rural development and food security, threatens=20 productivity and health and limits opportunities to improve livelihoods = --=20 particularly for rural girls and women," FAO education expert Lavinia = Gasperini=20 said.=20

"Since the vast majority of the population in sub-Saharan Africaare = rural,=20 and since agriculture is a key sector for rural development and economic = growth,=20 more efforts are needed in educating the rural poor and helping them to = apply=20 improved technologies to make small-scale farming viable and = profitable," Ms.=20 Gasperini added.=20

Wide gathering=20

She indicated that the Addis seminar will gather, for the first time, = ministers of education, agriculture, fisheries and rural development = from=20 several African countries, in addition to representatives from NEPAD, = the=20 African Union, civil society organizations and bilateral and = multilateral=20 development bodies such as the ILO, Oxfam, UNESCO, UNICEF, the Italian, = Swiss=20 and Dutch Cooperation agencies as well as the World Bank.=20

African countries expected at the Addis meeting are Burkina Faso, = Ethiopia,=20 Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, = Tanzania=20 and Uganda.=20

The meeting is organized by FAO, UNESCO's International Institute for = Education Planning (IIEP) and the Association for the Development of = Education=20 in Africa (ADEA) in partnership with Ethiopia's Ministry of Education = and with=20 the support of the Italian Development Cooperation (DGCS) and the = Norwegian=20 Trust Fund for Education in Africa (NETF).=20

FAO is the lead UN agency for the global education for rural people=20 initiative.=20

Gender disparity=20

Gender disparity and discriminatory policies against women are the = main=20 problems faced by development agencies in poor countries. Helping to = eliminate=20 disparities and promoting equality and better lives for women and their = families=20 are FAO's main concerns, according to Marcela Villarreal, Gender and = Population=20 Division Director at the UN agency.=20

While more than 70 percent of Africa's population still lives in = rural areas,=20 women produce up to 80 percent of food in countries where agriculture is = still=20 labour-intensive, according to FAO.=20

"The target of eliminating gender disparity in education is crucial = for=20 achieving the third Millennium Development Goal, which promotes gender = equality.=20 It can only be achieved by a special effort to ensure equitable access = to=20 quality education for girls and women in rural areas, where most = illiterate=20 people are found," Ms. Villarreal added.=20

Main topics=20

During the Addis ministerial seminar, participants will discuss the = current=20 situation of education for rural people in sub-Saharan Africaand ways = and means=20 to improve it. The main purpose is to encourage policymakers to join = forces in=20 promoting education in rural areas. More cooperation will be required = between=20 education, agriculture, fisheries and rural development ministries to = achieve=20 education for all.=20

Another goal of the meeting is to promote dialogue between countries = and=20 reinforce national and regional partnerships for education for rural = people.=20

It is expected that participants will adopt priority policy actions = and a=20 declaration underlining that education for rural people is essential for = the=20 achievement of the education for all goals and the Millennium = Development Goals.=20

Contact:=20

Pierre Antonios
Media Relations, = FAO
pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+39)=20 06 570 53473
(+39) 348 252 3807

With the exception of public UN sources,=20 reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part = or in any=20 form, requires the prior consent of the original=20 source.

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