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Access to quality education is a problem for all rural children in Peru, but especially for rural girls, who complete primary school at far lower rates than other Peruvian children. In 1998, USAID launched the Girls' Education Activity (GEA) in Peru, also known as New Horizons for Girls' Education, which aims to increase girls' completion of primary school, particularly among rural and indigenous populations. During 1998-2001, the project had a substantial impact on the general discourse about girls' education. Its activities improved general knowledge about the importance of girls' education, inspired national legislation on rural girls' education, and inspired girls' education projects at the regional and local levels. This report gives an overview of the project, describing the creation of a national network for girls' education (Florecer), national conferences, publications, a mass media campaign aimed at affluent citizens with political influence, advocacy efforts with policy makers, and interactions among national and regional networks and local committees. Several project studies are summarized, including a situational analysis and rapid rural appraisal of barriers to rural girls' education; a baseline study in pilot communities; evaluations of demonstration activities involving bilingual education, girls' self-esteem, community-based monitoring committees, and adult literacy; and the accomplishments of regional networks in Ayacucho and San Martin. An analysis of systemic changes in girls' education looks at GEA's progress in legitimizing its policy goals, building an active constituency, mobilizing resources, designing and modifying organizational structures, mobilizing action, and monitoring systemic change. (SV)

Guatemala's school completion rates are among the lowest in Latin America and are particularly low in rural indigenous areas ravaged by 36 years of civil conflict. In 1997, USAID launched the Girls' Education Activity, known as Proyecto Global in Guatemala, to increase the percentage of girls who complete fifth grade, especially in rural areas and among indigenous (Maya) populations. For 4 years ending August 2001, the project promoted a national discourse on girls' education; developed materials crafted to promote girls' education in the Guatemalan social and cultural context; and pursued four strategies, focusing on the department of El Quiche. First, materials and teacher workshops were developed to increase teachers' sensitivity to gender stereotypes and roles and to introduce instructional methods that engage children and make them agents in their own learning. Adoption of these "interactive and dynamic" teaching methods by rural teachers has been slow. Second, community "sensitizing" workshops were held in 15 communities to raise awareness of the importance of girls' education and female literacy and to promote community involvement. Third, a national media campaign aimed to influence social attitudes impeding girls' access to education. Finally, small monthly scholarships were provided to about 50,000 girls over 3 years. Analysis of systemic changes suggests that the project made varying degrees of progress in legitimizing its goals with policy makers, creating stakeholders, and mobilizing resources in favor of girls' education. However, the constituency for girls' education in Guatemala remains limited to certain sectors of society and is robust only in pockets where community work was carried out. (SV)

This qualitative report of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Girls' Education Activity (GEA) focuses on the results of project activities in Guatemala, Morocco, and Peru. Section 1 outlines the overall purpose and goals of the GEA; contrasts the major tactics of the program in each country; and describes the fundamental multi-sectoral approach underlying all three country projects. Section 2 presents the design and the analytical framework used in the report. Sub-sections are included that make important distinctions about the nature of systemic change and describe a Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Change (CFAC) used to explain what is thought to be the importance of the achievements made by each GEA project in its respective geographical region. Section 3 describes, in three sub-sections, the major initiatives of each GEA country to improve girls' access to and retention in primary (elementary) schools and contains an analysis using the CFAC analytical tool, of the degree of systemic change achieved in each country's respective environment. Section 4 examines the efforts of the programs in all three countries and synthesizes their experience into a set of observations on success factors in implementing girls' education reform. (Contains 40 notes, 8 tables, and 10 figures.) (BT)

In 1996, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) began the Girls' Education Activity (GEA). GEA's goal has been to assist host country governments and private sector and nongovernmental entities in formulating, institutionalizing, and implementing country initiatives for girls' education. These initiatives have been designed to ensure substantially increased educational opportunities for girls at the primary school level. This paper provides an overview of the GEA, presenting the general background of the contracts with the host countries and describing the multi-sectoral approach of the GEA. The paper presents information from a study based on five years of accumulated knowledge about girls' education in GEA countries, previously presented in monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to USAID; project designs and descriptions; and a "Start-Up Handbook for Girls' Education Activities." It states that the analytic study was based on these documents, supplemented by in-country interviews conducted over several trips by U.S.-based project staff between January and July 2001. It notes that between 50 and 75 respondents were interviewed in each country. The paper provides a conceptual framework for analyzing change (CFAC) and addresses systemic change for girls' education in GEA countries. It discusses systemic change for girls' education in Guatemala and in Peru and considers factors that effected systemic change in GEA countries. It also discusses some political contexts, linkages, and in-country control. (BT)