Teach2Empower

13 Oct 2025

2 min read

Challenge

Teachers play a fundamental role in improving learning outcomes. Their effectiveness is the most significant factor in determining learners’ educational success. To achieve inclusive, high-quality education for all by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 4), education systems must ensure there are enough well-trained and qualified teachers. However, the focus on improving access to education over past decades has often led to hiring teachers who lack the qualifications required to provide quality and inclusive education. Many teachers do not have the necessary qualifications and competencies to prepare and support learners in navigating some of the challenges in 21st century societies, including developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to actively engage in the digital and green transition and advance gender equity.

Goals

Teach2Empower aims to improve learning outcomes and the socio-emotional development of children in Africa by having a more competent, motivated and inclusive teacher workforce in basic education. It seeks to support children and youth to become critical, responsible and active citizens shaping green, digital and gender-equal societies.

Project Partners

Approach

VVOB, APEFE and Enabel (Team Belgium) work together to improve teacher training and strengthen competencies for green, digital and gender-responsive education. VVOB specifically supports teachers, government officials and teacher trainers in integrating green and gender-transformative teaching practices into their work, promoting inclusive and sustainable education systems.

Gender-responsive education (or gender-transformative education, we use the terms interchangeably) refers to teaching approaches that recognise and address the different needs, experiences and challenges that learners may face based on their gender and that actively challenge and address gender biases and stereotypes. The goal is to provide all learners, regardless of gender, with the opportunity to succeed academically and socially.

Green education refers to pedagogical approaches that take action for a greener, more sustainable future and build the (environmental) sustainability competences of learners. It requires teachers and learners to have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to shape climate action and to cope with profound change.

While gender transformative pedagogy (GTP) and green education clearly share a vision for inclusive and sustainable futures, their intersections remain underexplored. In the Teach2Empower project, VVOB examines the similarities, differences and overlaps between green education and gender transformative pedagogies and explores whether a unified, comprehensive approach can enhance teacher professional development (TPD) and classroom practice. VVOB will develop a conceptual framework on green and gender-transformative pedagogy, develop and test contextualised models and materials on green and gender-transformative pedagogy in Kenya and formulate lessons for internal learning and wider dissemination.

The project highlights collaboration and knowledge-sharing across borders. Events at Belgian, European and African levels provide platforms to showcase innovative approaches on teacher professional development for social transformative pedagogies. 

Teach2Empower complements the Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA) launched by the European Union to support African countries in improving teachers’ working conditions, education and training, ensuring schools have enough qualified and motivated teachers.

By the end of the programme

Teachers, teacher trainers and education officials will receive support to strengthen their skills related to green, digital and gender-transformative education.
Innovative and effective practices and resources relating to green, digital and gender-transformative education (and their interlinkages) will be identified, showcased and promoted across Belgium, Europe and Africa.