Over 22 million Pakistani Children Out of Schools as Premier Urges Focus on Girls’ Education

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted a staggering figure of over 22 million children out of school in Pakistan during the opening of the International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported.

He emphasized the urgent need for Muslim countries to prioritize girls’ education, noting that millions of young girls will enter the job market in the coming decade, with the potential to uplift themselves and their families from poverty.

Sharif pointed out that while women constitute more than half of Pakistan’s population, the female literacy rate stands at only 49%. He warned that denying education to girls deprives them of their voice and future opportunities. The conference, attended by international representatives including Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, aims to culminate in the signing of the Islamabad Declaration, which commits the Muslim community to empower girls through education and promote inclusive educational reforms.