Islamabad, Jan 10: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is set to attend an international summit on girls’ education in Islamabad, Pakistan.The two-day event, titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities,” will take place on January 11 and 12, 2025.
Hosted by Pakistan’s Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in collaboration with the Muslim World League, the conference aims to address challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education across Muslim communities worldwide.It will bring together over 150 international dignitaries, including ministers, ambassadors, scholars, and representatives from organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the event, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to promoting girls’ education and gender equity. Malala Yousafzai, a globally acclaimed advocate for girls’ education, will deliver the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of supporting every girl’s right to attend school.
A significant focus of the summit will be on the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on girls’ and women’s education.Pakistan’s Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, has extended a formal invitation to the Afghan interim government to participate in the conference, expressing hope that their representatives will attend. The conference will culminate in the signing of the Islamabad Declaration, outlining a collective commitment to empowering girls through education and fostering inclusive educational reforms.
Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2012 due to her advocacy for girls’ education, has since become a global symbol of resilience and a leading voice for women’s rights. Her participation in the summit underscores the critical importance of addressing educational disparities and promoting gender equality in Muslim communities worldwide.
The summit represents a significant step towards mobilizing international support and collaboration to overcome barriers to girls’ education, particularly in regions where cultural, political, and economic challenges persist. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, the conference aims to foster dialogue, share transformative success stories, and develop actionable solutions to ensure that every girl has access to quality education.
