What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much
What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much
by Joelle Wyser-Pratte
While gender equality in Pakistan got a significant public relations boost with the announcement that the country’s government will put $10 million towards the education of girls, given how dire the situation is today (note the targeting of 14-year-old education advocate Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban for assassination a mere two months ago) this financial contribution will be meaningless if it isn’t backed up by serious policy changes that allow girls to attend class free of fear.
After a visit to Malala’s hospital in England, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was alongside UNESCO in Paris to announce a new “Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education,” and to fund it with $10 million by the year 2015. No matter the reason — to score political points with the West, generate good public relations or because
by Joelle Wyser-Pratte
While gender equality in Pakistan got a significant public relations boost with the announcement that the country’s government will put $10 million towards the education of girls, given how dire the situation is today (note the targeting of 14-year-old education advocate Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban for assassination a mere two months ago) this financial contribution will be meaningless if it isn’t backed up by serious policy changes that allow girls to attend class free of fear.
After a visit to Malala’s hospital in England, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was alongside UNESCO in Paris to announce a new “Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education,” and to fund it with $10 million by the year 2015. No matter the reason — to score political points with the West, generate good public relations or because
