Commonwealth of Learning

06/12/2026

COL’s Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) project is helping women and girls access education, build skills for the labour market, and participate more fully in economic and social life.

Now in its third year, with support from Global Affairs Canada and local partner organisations, the project is contributing to meaningful change across Bangladesh, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Explore the project’s annual report to see how EWG is strengthening livelihoods at the village, community, and national levels: https://hdl.handle.net/11599/6133

COL4D's Empowering Women & Girls Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada

06/12/2026

Looking for one place to follow the latest in open learning and development?

COL’s regular newsletter, The Commonwealth Open Learning Bulletin, shares curated stories and insights from across the Commonwealth and around the world, spotlighting ideas that support equitable learning and sustainable development.

Subscribe: https://www.col.org/the-bulletin/

The Commonwealth Open Learning Bulletin, or simply The Bulletin, is the Commonwealth of Learning’s weekly newsletter featuring curated news on open learning and educational developments from across the Commonwealth and...

06/11/2026

Work should offer more than income; it should open pathways to dignity, equality, and opportunity for all learners.

In Zanzibar, Tanzania, COL is supporting Pathways to Prosperity, an Open TVET project that brings together regulators, institution-based providers, and community-based organisations to strengthen the quality and reach of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. By mainstreaming gender across skills development, the project is addressing persistent inequities in access that perpetuate wider social and economic inequalities.

Read the full story: https://www.col.org/news/gender-mainstreaming-initiative-strengthens-pathways-to-skills-and-opportunity-in-zanzibar/

The State University of Zanzibar Zanzibar University Karume Institute of Science and Technology - KIST Mwanamke Initiatives Foundation Milele Zanzibar Foundation

06/10/2026

Collaborating with our sister organisations is critical to strengthening resilience and advancing shared prosperity for the Commonwealth’s 2.7 billion citizens.

COL looks forward to working with The Commonwealth Secretariat’s new Deputy Secretary-General (Programmes), Ambassador Tanmaya Lal, and new Deputy Secretary-General (Corporate), Tania Baumann, to deliver on our shared commitment to learning for sustainable development across the Commonwealth.

We are pleased to welcome two new Deputy Secretaries-General to strengthen delivery of the Commonwealth’s strategic priorities across our 56 member countries.

Ambassador Tanmaya Lal joins as Deputy Secretary-General (Programmes) and Tania Baumann as Deputy Secretary-General (Corporate).

Together, they bring extensive international experience in multilateral engagement, governance and organisational leadership.

Read more: https://bit.ly/43yvaVh

06/10/2026

During her recent visit to London for COL’s Board of Governors Meeting and other Commonwealth engagements, the Hon. Dr Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Sri Lanka, reflected on the importance of collaboration among Member States. “The Commonwealth can provide a space for our voices to be heard in a way that highlights some of these values that are being swept aside — values that are really important for countries such as ours.”

The Hon. Dr Amarasuriya also attended COL’s Open Learning Roundtable in London with Commonwealth education partners, including the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation, where she shared insights on the future of open learning across the Commonwealth.

Watch the full interview: https://thecommonwealth.org/news/sri-lankan-prime-minister-says-commonwealth-really-important-forum-tense-world

Harini Amarasuriya Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka The Commonwealth Commonwealth Foundation

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Hon Dr Harini Amarasuriya has described the Commonwealth as “a really important forum” for its member countries at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and instability.

06/09/2026

Today, COL joins the global community in recognising the first-ever International Day of Recognition, launched by the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment - CAPLA.

Across the Commonwealth, millions of learners, especially women, displaced people, workers in the informal economy, persons with disabilities and those in remote communities, possess valuable knowledge and skills that are too often invisible to formal systems. This day celebrates the idea that learning happens everywhere, and that all forms of learning count.

In a new reflections article, Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser: Higher Education, COL, explores how Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and micro-credentials can help make learning more visible and portable, supporting pathways to further study, decent work opportunities and community advancement.

Read more: https://www.col.org/news/international-day-of-recognition-making-learning-count-through-rpl-and-micro-credentials/

06/09/2026

Whether you are a practitioner, advocate, community partner, or simply passionate about advancing opportunities for women and girls, this session will offer valuable perspectives and practical takeaways for more inclusive and impactful programming.

📅 Tuesday, 16 June, 7:30 AM PDT
🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.col.org/news/webinar-insights-from-the-empowering-women-and-girls-project-journey/

COL4D's Empowering Women & Girls Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada

📢 Join Us for a Special Webinar: Insights from the EWG Project Journey

Over the past three years, the Empowering Women and Girls Project has supported women and girls across five countries through vocational and life skills training, helping create pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

Join us as we reflect on key achievements, lessons learned, and the impact of our work, while sharing insights on gender equality, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and innovative approaches that can inform future programming.

📅 Tuesday, June 16, 7:30 AM PST
🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_03RHAYD6R_GK1VnQn9ZoCA

06/08/2026

VUSSC Voices returns this week with a webinar on professionalising youth work through micro-credentials.

Chaired by Dr Schontal Moore, Adviser: VUSSC, COL, the session will feature a presentation by a collaborative team from Botswana Open University and Lakehead University on “Micro-credentials, youth work, and professional identity: Lessons from Botswana.”

Learn more and register now: https://www.col.org/news/vussc-voices-11-professionalising-youth-work-through-micro-credentials/

Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) Botswana Open University - BOU Lakehead University

Reading Time: 2 min readVUSSC Voices, a webinar series highlighting expert voices from COL’s Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) network, returns with its eleventh webinar on professionalising youth work through...

06/05/2026

🌍 On World Environment Day, we’re revisiting an important conversation on building climate-ready green skills for women and girls.

COL’s Empowering Women & Girls project recently hosted a webinar on green skills, climate adaptation, and resilience, sharing real-world case studies and training initiatives that help expand economic opportunities and support more inclusive, climate-ready futures.

Watch the recording to explore how green skills can shape more sustainable futures: https://youtu.be/1ZQ0pdrHb98?si=MhznlQ8BpFHKDZrW

COL4D's Empowering Women & Girls Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada

06/05/2026

Women and girls are among those most affected by climate change, yet their voices are too often missing from climate decisions.

This World Environment Day, hear from Frances Ferreira, Senior Adviser: Women and Girls at COL, and our project partners in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Mozambique as they share how women and girls are leading climate action in their communities.

Through COL's Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) project, implemented with the generous support of Global Affairs Canada, women and girls are advancing environmental education, disaster preparedness, and climate-smart agriculture to build more resilient futures.

🎥 Watch the video and discover why women and girls must be at the centre of climate action: https://youtu.be/GOoMxWJAd0c

COL4D's Empowering Women & Girls Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada SPARC Women's Development Centre ADPP Mozambique