20 Apr 2020 Launched on 25 August 2020, Building Back Equal: Girls Back to School Guide is a joint initiative by UNESCO, Malala Fund, Plan International, UNGEI, and UNICEF. Developed under UNESCO’s COVID-19 Global Education Coalition’s Gender Flagship, the guide supports ministries of education and partners in addressing the gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures.It offers practical, evidence-based recommendations to ensure learning continuity during school closures and to plan safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive school reopenings. With a strong focus on reaching the most marginalized girls, the guide promotes strategies to build back equal—transforming education systems to be more resilient, equitable, and empowering for all learners.The Gender Flagship brings together diverse partners committed to advancing gender equality and the rights of girls and women through education, during the pandemic and beyond.