Outcome IND_D_5.1

Marginalized women and young women have access to, participate in and achieve quality learning, entrepreneurship and employment outcomes through second chance education.

The SCE program is providing technical assistance to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), leading its work on development of two important policies- the policy on Inclusive Education and Gender Policy. A steering committee of which UN Women is a convening member meets periodically to discuss the policy and challenges related to its implementation. The evidence generated through the SCE programme highlights that fee in a huge barrier in women and girls enrolling back to mainstream formal education institutions like NIOS and completing formal education. In line with the SCE program recommendation the revised Rajasthan State Women’s Policy has waived the fees of women and girls enrolling in secondary and higher secondary. INR 1000 Crore allocated to the scheme will benefit 75,000 women and girls in the state of Rajasthan towards, education skilling and entrepreneurship. This scheme targets women and girls above 14 years for secondary exams and above 15 years for senior secondary. No higher age limit has been fixed. The fees of the women and girls enrolling under the State Open Board will be borne by the Directorate of Women Empowerment, Government of Rajasthan.

Marginalized women and young women have access to, participate in and achieve quality learning, entrepreneurship and employment outcomes through second chance education.

In 2022, UN Women provided technical assistance to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Government of India to develop and launch of the Inclusive Education policy. The policy document recognizes the contribution of UN Women in the acknowledgement section. This policy will ensure that more women and girls are able to access NIOS to complete their formal education while bridging the current gender gap in enrolment at NIOS, which stands at 33 percent. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity and space for non-binary persons and young adults to complete their schooling or vocational courses. NIOS has a cumulative enrolment of 4.3 million during the last 5 years, therefore, the policy will have a positive effect on future learners. UN Women reviewed NIOS's existing Gender Policy and developed and submitted the revised Gender Policy along with the Gender Action Plan for its implementation for approval by NIOS. UN Women introduced employability skills curriculum in 3 Government Industrial Training Institutes, 2 Government polytechnics and 1 Government Degree college to equip over 750 young girls with employability skills for decent job and entrepreneurship opportunities.