Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai will be traveling to Pakistan this weekend to participate in the International Conference on Girls' Education in Muslim Communities, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Malala, who is one of the keynote speakers, will address the two-day conference, scheduled for January 11-12 in Islamabad.
This will mark Malala's third visit to Pakistan since she was flown to the UK for life-saving treatment in October 2012, following an assassination attempt by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for her advocacy of girls' education. Her last visit was in October 2022, when she returned to her hometown for the first time since the attack.
An organizer of the conference told The Express Tribune that Malala has confirmed her participation and will deliver a keynote address focused on the significance of girls' education in Muslim communities.
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training is hosting the event, which is titled Girls' Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, the conference aims to explore both the challenges and opportunities in advancing girls' education across Muslim communities globally. It will provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration to develop actionable solutions. The event is expected to foster high-level discussions on education and gender equality.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference, delivering a keynote address at the opening session. He is expected to reaffirm Pakistan's commitment to promoting girls' education and gender equity.
The event will bring together more than 150 international dignitaries, including ministers, ambassadors, scholars, and academics from 44 Muslim-majority and allied nations. Representatives from international organizations, including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank, will also be in attendance. Speakers and panelists will share inspiring success stories and discuss innovative strategies to promote educational equity.
The conference will conclude with the signing of the Islamabad Declaration, a document outlining the collective commitment of Muslim nations to empower girls through education. The declaration will emphasize the importance of inclusive and sustainable educational reforms, aimed at creating a brighter future for future generations.
One of the key topics at the conference will be the ongoing ban on girls' education imposed by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. While the Afghan situation will not be explicitly named in the conference agenda, sources suggest that the joint declaration will likely condemn the Taliban's restrictions on girls' education.
Sources also confirmed that Pakistan has invited representatives from the Afghan Taliban government to attend the conference, although it remains unclear whether they will send a delegation. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been tense in recent months due to concerns over terrorist hideouts within Afghanistan.
0 Comments
If you have any doubts Please let me know