(Ecofin Agency) - The government of Benin has introduced free schooling for girls, aiming to boost their enrollment and ensure they receive a quality education. This effort is part of a broader strategy to encourage active participation in the country's development.

On July 24, the Council of Ministers approved the National Program for Accelerating the Education and Well-being of Girls in Benin. This five-year program requires an investment of CFA94 billion ($155.8 million) and aims to "improve the skills of young girls for their empowerment, particularly those who are out of school, have dropped out, or come from vulnerable households," according to the Council's final statement.

The program includes four main components: supporting the education of out-of-school girls, keeping girls from vulnerable households in school, developing life skills and improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and facilitating the school-to-work transition and economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women.

This initiative builds on existing measures to support girls' education in Benin. In recent years, the Beninese government has prioritized increasing girls' enrollment rates. A significant step was taken in 2023 with the introduction of free secondary education for girls at all levels.

To support this free education project, the government allocated CFA3.4 billion for the 2023/2024 school year. The funds were distributed as financial aid to public secondary schools.