Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai expressed her joy and honor Saturday as she returned to her native Pakistan for a global summit on girls’ education in the Islamic world.
Yousafzai, shot by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012 for her advocacy for education, has made only a few visits to the country since the attack.
“I’m truly honored, overwhelmed, and happy to be back in Pakistan,” Yousafzai told AFP upon arriving at the conference in Islamabad. She is scheduled to address the summit on Sunday and has vowed to speak on protecting girls’ right to education and holding the Taliban accountable for their actions against Afghan women and girls.
“I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school, and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls,” she posted on social media platform X on Friday.
Yousafzai, who became the youngest Nobel laureate at 17, rose to global prominence after surviving the Taliban attack while riding a school bus in the Swat Valley. Now a leading advocate for girls’ education, she continues to champion gender equality on international platforms.
International summit on Girls’ Education opens in Islamabad
Pakistan began hosting the two-day summit on girls’ education in Muslim communities today in Islamabad, with over 150 dignitaries from 44 nations participating. Organized by the Pakistani education ministry, the summit seeks to address challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education in the Islamic world, the foreign office stated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference with a keynote speech reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to promoting gender equality.
Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui emphasized the summit’s goal of aligning educational efforts with Islamic values, stating that the event will conclude with an “Islamabad Declaration” to outline actionable steps for improving girls’ education in Muslim countries.
“By promoting girls’ education, we can build better homes, a better society and a stronger nation,” he said.
Notable attendees include Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad.
Pakistan has also extended an invitation to Afghanistan, with hopes of their participation amid ongoing concerns over the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ education. “We have extended an invitation to Afghanistan to participate in this conference and hopethat their delegation will attend as it is a very important neighboring country,” Siddiqui said.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, approximately 1.4 million Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education, according to UNICEF. Siddiqui called for adherence to Islamic principles, highlighting that “in Islam, there is no justification for restricting women’s education.”