Improving Girls' Education in Guatemala

Evaluation of USAID project. Demonstrated that improving educational quality is the best approach to enhancing girls’ participation. With Agency support, private sector actors improved scholarship programs and gave visibility to the issue of girls’ education. But strategic flaws and incomplete implemenation limited the impact of USAID investments. There is a need for:

• broader and deeper participation
• concentrating on systemwide sustainable impacts
• targetting indigenous girls
• Provide scholarship support
• Bring successful projects to large scale
• Realign expectations for contributions by the private commercial sector
• Support connection of girls’ and women’s education
• Balance policy dialog and conditionalities

Also available is a synthesis report on USAID experience in girl's education