ABSTRACT
Female education is a key component of development. Developing countries such as Burkina Faso lag behind in the Human Development Index, not least because of low rates of female literacy. The efforts of the government to address this issue need the support of faith-based organisations (FBOs) to help increase female literacy. Facing this challenge, churches and evangelical FBOs in Burkina Faso have come alongside the state to bridge this gap. In this chapter, I present the experiences of Evangelical Churches and Christian NGOs in female education in Burkina Faso. By making use of in-depth narrative interviews conducted in an inquiry into this topic in 2006, I allow the voices of key actors in female education, educators and pastors, to be heard. In the second part of the chapter, I describe the form of partnerships for education between evangelical organisations and other faith actors at the local and national level in Burkina Faso. Moreover, I reflect on the role of international organisations and the type of partnerships that are necessary to improve the collective effort of improving female education in contexts such as Burkina Faso.
