Moot on girls' education

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Girls' approbation is an issue that is close to the heart of developing countries, and Muslim societies have surely made great strides in it. The two-day international conference on Girls' Education in Muslim Communities, commencing in Islamabad today, is an opportunity to take a realistic stock of ground realities and foment a workable strategy to buoy the state of girls' education in Pakistan. The presence of dignitaries from some 44 countries, apart from experts from international bodies, should come as a reservoir of ideas and synergies, helping overcome the sense of degeneration among the females and to undo the gender gap in education, employment and empowerment.

The presence of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who shot to fame because of her debut work to educate the girls of restive Swat valley of K-P, is an enriching factor. She can be the best ambassador to cajole local and international talent, and finances, for laying a roadmap of education from primary to higher echelons for females. The conference should also come a long way in persuading the Taliban government in revisiting their policy of discouraging women education, and walking the necessary few steps to bring their wards at par, in an interdependent economic world.

Pakistan suffers from many impediments when it comes to education, particularly enrolment of girls. It is a common observation that school-age children, especially girls, lack quality educational access and attainment. According to World Bank statistics, 77% of children in Pakistan are learning poor, and most of them are redundant in terms of success in contributing to society.

The country has a staggering 24 million out-of-school children, and girls surpass half of them. Moreover, girls are less likely to be enrolled in schools and their primary education completion graph is very dismal, apparently owing to patriarchal socio-cultural impediments. The disgust is more evident in K-P and Balochistan, mainly due to faraway schools, fears of harassment, lack of sexual hygienic environment and absence of quality female teachers.