PM calls for collective efforts to develop sustainable solutions for girls’ education
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged for collaborative efforts to create scalable and sustainable solutions for advancing girls’ education.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities in Islamabad, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of this cause, calling it “worth fighting for, worth investing in, and worth advocating for.”
He highlighted that millions of young girls entering the job market over the next decade hold the potential to uplift their families and nations from poverty while significantly contributing to the global economy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized the moral and social obligation to ensure that the rights of women and girls are upheld, their ambitions nurtured, and that no cultural barriers hinder their aspirations.
Addressing the challenges, he pointed out that, despite a rich cultural legacy, the Muslim world—including Pakistan—struggles to provide equitable access to education for girls. He remarked that depriving girls of education not only silences their voices and choices but also denies them the opportunity for a brighter future.
In Pakistan, he noted, women comprise more than half of the population, yet female literacy stands at only 49%. Alarmingly, 22.8 million children aged 5–16 remain out of school, with a disproportionate number being girls.
To combat these disparities, the Prime Minister highlighted the establishment of Daanish Schools, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at delivering quality education to underprivileged children in rural and underdeveloped areas. He shared plans to expand this model to remote regions, ensuring a more inclusive future.
He also outlined the government’s commitment through its flagship youth program, which focuses on providing quality education, creating jobs, and offering opportunities such as scholarships, vocational training in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and cyber security, alongside the distribution of laptops to high achievers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that the pursuit of knowledge is a sacred obligation for every Muslim, regardless of gender, as taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
He announced plans to present the Islamabad Declaration, signed at the conference, to the United Nations, including the UN Security Council, as a collective aspiration of the Muslim world.
The event concluded with the signing of an International Partnership Agreement, symbolizing a united commitment to advancing the cause of girls’ education globally.
