ISLAMABAD: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai made a significant appearance at an international summit focused on girls' education held in her native Pakistan, a country she was forced to leave after a near-fatal attack by the Taliban in 2012. Her return is particularly poignant as she continues to champion the rights of girls to receive an education, especially within Islamic nations. In a recent social media post, Yousafzai expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "I am excited to join Muslim leaders from around the world for a critical conference on girls' education." At the summit, she emphasized the need for leaders to hold the Taliban responsible for the abysmal treatment of Afghan women and girls, particularly in terms of education.

Pakistan's Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui confirmed that while the Afghan Taliban government was invited to the conference, they did not attend. He remarked, "We had extended an invitation to Afghanistan but no one from the Afghan government was at the conference," as he highlighted that participation from various organizations dedicated to improving girls' education in Afghanistan remained intact (source). It is disheartening that Afghanistan now holds the grim distinction of being the only country in the world where girls face systemic educational bans.

The Taliban's ascent to power has resulted in the deliberate exclusion of 1.4 million Afghan girls from school, as noted by UNESCO, which states that this ban has caused a regression of two decades of educational progress in the country. With the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law, education for girls above the sixth grade remains prohibited, marking a significant setback for both girls and women in the region.

The summit, which spans two days and is backed by the Saudi Arabia-based Muslim World League, aims to solidify the commitment of Muslim countries to enhance educational opportunities for girls. Opening the event, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged the staggering statistic that over 26 million children in Pakistan are out of school, a crisis exacerbated by persistent poverty. This larger context underlines the ongoing struggle for girls' educational rights in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, both of which suffer from insufficient educational resources.

As Yousafzai continues to advocate for change and accountability, her presence at the summit signals hope and resilience in the fight for girls' education globally, reinforcing the urgent call for action among world leaders to support vulnerable populations.