Since its inception in 2007, Dubai Cares has committed around $26 million in support of girls’ education programmes, research projects, and advocacy efforts, from improving infrastructure in primary schools to increasing access and retention of girls, and providing extra support and resources to secure girls’ transition from primary school to secondary school, to more targeted pedagogical efforts to increase girls’ interest, confidence and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The portfolio also includes programmes that aim to empower vulnerable teenage girls and their communities to address root causes of disrupted learning, such as early marriage and teenage pregnancy, and help improve their prospects through employability training and other life skills.
Itad is undertaking a thematic evaluation of Dubai Cares’ Girls’ Education portfolio, with two overarching objectives:
- To capture key learning and insights in order to inform Dubai Cares’ future strategy and grant-making.
- To equip Dubai Cares with evidence, insights and learning from its investments that can benefit and further advocate for better policy at the global and regional level.
The team is working with Dubai Cares to transform evidence from projects into portfolio level strategy. This is being done by using co-creation and theories of change to balance the evidence on what works in the Girls’ Education portfolio, with the Foundation’s ambitions in the sector, to help inform future investments and strategic decision making.
This evaluation builds on Itad’s evaluation of the School Health and Nutrition portfolio to actively support Dubai Cares in refining and developing their strategy in the future.
Image: Government primary school in Amman, Jordan — Young girls reading © Credit: UNESCO
