Shehbaz Sharif: Over 22 Million Children Are Out of School in Pakistan

Photo : Reuters

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said over 22 million children in the country are out of schools. While attending the inauguration event of the 'International Conference on Girls' Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities', scheduled for two days in Islamabad, Sharif sought the needful for Muslim states to improve female education. At the same time, Sharif acknowledged the multiple challenges many Muslim states still face while granting equal education opportunities for girls.

Sharif highlighted that millions of young girls are expected to join the workforce in the next decade. He believes this will not only help lift them and their families out of poverty but also contribute to the global economy. He pointed out that although women make up more than half of Pakistan's population, the literacy rate for women is only 49 percent. He also pointed out that 22.8 million children between the ages of five and 16 are not attending school, with a greater proportion of these children being girls.

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"The denial of education to girls is like taking away their voice and future," Sharif said during his speech.

The conference has been attended by international representatives from several Muslim-majority countries, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Malala was excited about attending the summit with world leaders and was clear that she was going to be the voice for protecting girls' right to education. She also had plans to express her opinion about the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women and girls. "I look forward to addressing global Muslim leaders at this critical summit on girls' education. I will talk about the necessity to safeguard the rights to education of all girls and challenge the Taliban over its actions against Afghan women and girls," Malala wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The summit will adjourn with signing the Islamabad Declaration, which, on behalf of Muslim nations, expresses mutual commitment to give girls the means of empowerment: education. Such a declaration to be presented in the United Nations, including to the UN Security Council, marks a unified ambition for the whole Muslim world. The representatives of the countries, as well will sign an International Partnership Agreement, devoted to furthering education for girls on the global stage.