Togo to distribute 100,000 school kits to girls under World Bank-backed program
Monday, 08 September 2025 14:59 
Highlights:
- Togo to distribute over 100,000 school kits to girls across 64 cantons.
- Initiative part of World Bank-backed SWEDD+ program on education and gender equality.
- Girls’ school completion lags: 59.9% at lower secondary vs 66.8% for boys; only 11% of women in higher education.
Togo will launch on September 9, 2025, a large-scale campaign to distribute more than 100,000 school kits to girls enrolled in public schools, part of efforts to promote education and equal opportunities. The initiative will be launched in Djémégni, Plateaux region, under the patronage of President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.
The program, supported by the World Bank under the regional SWEDD+ project (Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend in the Enlarged Sahel), will benefit girls in 64 cantons nationwide. Kits include basic supplies and equipment for primary, middle and high school students.
“Girls’ education is not an option, it’s a national priority,” said a project manager. “By offering them the means to succeed, the government is translating into action the President’s vision of investing in human capital.”
Despite progress, disparities remain. According to UNESCO, in 2022, 87% of girls completed primary school versus 91% of boys. At lower secondary level, the completion rate dropped to 59.9% for girls and 66.8% for boys. Gross enrolment in higher education stood at just 11% for women compared with 19% for men.
Beyond kits, SWEDD+ Togo also includes awareness campaigns and family support programs to reduce dropouts, early marriage and financial barriers. For the World Bank, investing in girls’ education remains a key driver of inclusive development.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
