The Taliban government of Afghanistan did not send a representative to a global summit focused on the education of Muslim girls, held in Islamabad on Saturday. The two-day event, organized by Pakistan, brought together education officials from numerous Muslim-majority nations and featured Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as one of its prominent attendees.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are barred from attending school, a situation that has drawn widespread condemnation from the global community. Despite a formal invitation extended by Pakistan’s Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the Afghan interim government chose not to participate in the discussions.
The conference aimed to address critical challenges faced by Muslim girls in accessing education, particularly in regions where social, political, or economic barriers hinder their progress. Education ministers and experts from various Muslim countries engaged in dialogue to explore collaborative solutions for promoting equitable access to education.
The absence of the Afghan Taliban from the summit underscored the ongoing challenges in addressing gender inequality in Afghanistan, where restrictions on female education remain a contentious issue. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, a global advocate for girls’ education, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to learn and thrive.
Participants at the conference reiterated their commitment to advancing educational opportunities for girls, highlighting the importance of education as a fundamental right and a key to fostering sustainable development within Muslim communities worldwide. The event concluded with a call for unified efforts to overcome the barriers that continue to limit educational access for girls in Muslim-majority countries.
