Funded by Global Affairs Canada for a period of 5 years, the Girls Education Challenge in Mali (DÉFI) project is implemented by a consortium of organizations composed of Alinéa International (Leader), Farm Radio International (RRI), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) , International Education (Ei) and the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa (CPHDA).

The Project aims to contribute to an overall improvement in demand, access and retention, mainly for girls, but also for boys, in formal and non-formal education programs in conflict-affected communities in Ségou, Mopti, Gao and Timbuktu.

The Project will address harmful social norms and other gender barriers affecting girls’ education in terms of demand, access and retention through an interactive radio-based communication approach (Component 1)Improving gender-based formal and non-formal education services for girls and boys (Component 2); and improving the performance of the public sector in the delivery of equitable, gender-based and evidence-based educational services and consolidating the results and integrating the results of the other two components (component 3).

In the implementation of the Project, the issue of gender is transversal, as it applies to all components of the project. Project design and delivery follow the concepts and principles of Results-Based Management (RBM).