PM raises alarm over 22m out-of-school children, hopeful for positive outcome from girl education summit

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed concern over the 22.8 million out-of-school children in Pakistan, with a disproportionate number of girls.

Addressing a meeting of education ministers and education officials from various Muslim countries, the prime minister thanked them for participating in the two-day international conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed the hope that the ongoing international conference on girls’ education would go a long way and help them to consolidate their efforts to promote women’s education in Islamic countries.

He said that Pakistan is facing various challenges in promoting girls’ education.

The prime minister referred to his first speech at the conference in which he had highlighted the importance of women’s education, emphasizing Islamic teachings and the instructions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

He said that he is ready to share his experience with the authorities concerned in the field of education, adding that in this field A committee has been formed in the country for reforms which is also liaising with all the provinces.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the government has made several reforms in the education sector. Their goals were aligned with funding and budget allocations.

He said that he is looking forward to working with Muslim countries in the future. Federal ministers, secretaries and senior officials were also present in the meeting.

The representatives and ministers of Turkey, Somalia, Kurdistan, Malaysia and Maldives also spoke on this occasion and expressed their appreciation for the warm hospitality of the Government of Pakistan and for taking initiatives in the field of women’s education and sharing their expertise with Muslim countries and promoting education. Thanks for making sure. For girls

‘We owe it to our mothers, daughters’

Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that there is a reason to fight for, invest in and passionately advocate for girls’ education.

Inaugurating the two-day conference on girls’ education, the Prime Minister called for collective efforts to develop scalable and sustainable solutions for girls’ education.

The event, which is hosting nearly 150 delegates from 47 countries, aims to identify viable solutions to the barriers to girls’ education in these communities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that millions of young girls will enter the job market in the next decade, stressing that they have the power not only to lift themselves, their families and nations out of poverty, but also to strengthen the global economy. There is also potential.

“We owe it to our mothers, sisters and daughters to ensure that their rights are respected, their ambitions are fulfilled and no cultural barriers stand in the way of achieving their dreams,” he said. be

The Prime Minister said that despite our glorious legacy, the Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equal access to education for girls.

He said that depriving girls of education is tantamount to denying them voice and choice while depriving them of their right to a bright future.

He pointed out that women constitute more than half of the total population in Pakistan, yet the female literacy rate is only 49 percent.

The Prime Minister said that a major step towards bridging educational disparity in Pakistan was the establishment of Danish Schools, a unique initiative introduced to provide quality education to underprivileged children in rural and backward areas.

He said that this initiative is now being replicated in remote areas of Pakistan, paving the way for a promising and more inclusive future.

Through the government’s flagship youth programme, he said, the government is committed to providing quality education, creating jobs and providing meaningful opportunities including scholarships and vocational training in in-demand skills.

Malala Yousafzai’s participation in the World Summit

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai also participated in the global summit organized regarding the education of Muslim girls. Education officials from dozens of Muslim-majority countries participated in the two-day conference hosted by Pakistan.

“I am really honoured, overwhelmed and happy to be back in Pakistan,” he told AFP as he arrived at the conference with his parents.

“The Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equal access to education for girls,” Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told AFP. Islamabad had invited Kabul, “but to the Afghan government. No one was in the conference.”

– with additional input from APP/AFP