Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is returning to her native Pakistan this weekend to
participate in a crucial two-day summit focused on girls’ education within Muslim communities.
The summit, taking place in Islamabad on January 11th and 12th, 2025, holds particular
significance given the stark contrast between Pakistan’s efforts to promote girls’ education and
the dire situation in neighboring Afghanistan, where the Taliban regime has banned girls and
women from attending schools and universities.

Yousafzai’s presence at the summit is highly symbolic. She became a global icon for girls’
education after surviving an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012, an attack
that stemmed from her outspoken advocacy for girls’ right to education. The attack forced her
to leave Pakistan and relocate to the United Kingdom, where she continued her education and
activism. Since then, she has returned to Pakistan only a handful of times.

The summit, inaugurated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will bring together a
diverse group of participants, including ministers and ambassadors from 44 countries, as well as
representatives from the United Nations and the World Bank. The event aims to solidify a
shared commitment among Muslim nations to empower girls through education, according to a
government statement. The gathering underscores Pakistan’s commitment to advancing girls’
education, a stark contrast to the situation in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, under the Taliban’s rule since 2021, stands as the only country globally where girls
and women are entirely prohibited from accessing education beyond primary school. The
Taliban government’s austere interpretation of Islamic law has resulted in what the United
Nations has termed “gender apartheid” severely restricting women’s participation in the
workforce and public life. While the Taliban claims that their interpretation of Islamic law
protects the rights of both men and women, the reality is a systematic denial of educational
and professional opportunities for women and girls.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yousafzai expressed her excitement to join Muslim leaders
from around the world for this critical conference. She stated her intention to speak on Sunday
about protecting the right of all girls to attend school and the necessity for
holding the Taliban accountable for their human rights violations.

The summit provides a platform to address the challenges faced by girls’ education in various
Muslim-majority countries, highlighting the importance of inclusive policies and community
engagement.