At the International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities held in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed that approximately 22.8 million children in Pakistan, predominantly girls, are not attending school. He emphasized the critical need for Muslim nations to prioritize girls’ education, highlighting that women constitute over half of Pakistan’s population, yet the female literacy rate remains at 49%.
The conference, attended by delegates from 47 countries, including Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, aimed to address educational disparities in Muslim communities. Malala, in her address, called on Muslim leaders to support efforts to criminalize gender apartheid and to hold the Taliban accountable for their treatment of Afghan women and girls.
Prime Minister Sharif announced the forthcoming signing of the Islamabad Declaration, a commitment by Muslim nations to implement inclusive educational reforms. The declaration will be submitted to the United Nations, including the Security Council, as a collective aspiration of the Muslim world.
The conference also saw the signing of an International Partnership Agreement, reinforcing the commitment to empower girls through education. This initiative underscores the shared responsibility of Muslim-majority countries to ensure equitable access to education for all children, particularly girls.
The alarming number of out-of-school children in Pakistan highlights the urgent need for comprehensive educational reforms and international collaboration to address gender disparities in education.
