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Pakistan

In Pakistan, 12 million girls are out of school, and only 13% of girls advance to grade 9. At the existing rate, it would take the country at least 50 years to enrol all girls in school.

Social norms such as gender stereotypes and preference for educating boys continue to prevent girls from accessing education. Pakistan lacks the number of free, quality schools and female teachers needed to adequately educate girls. Additionally, education that centres girls and prepares them for the workforce remains scarce. As a result, families feel pressured to marry girls off early or send them into domestic or paid labour. 

Despite the government’s commitment to increase the number of schools, Pakistan spends less than 2% of GDP on education.

Our work in Pakistan

Malala Fund has been working in Pakistan since 2017 to ensure every girl can choose her own future. Our partners work across cities like Karachi and Lahore and rural areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces to increase girls’ access to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. We work with them on three main areas:

  • Addressing key barriers that prevent girls from staying in school.

  • Increasing government funding for girls’ education.

  • Improving girls’ access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education.

"I want to see these girls fly. I want them to make their own choices — whether it is to get married or have children. They should study as much as they like, mobilise resources for themselves and make their own decisions. The sky should be their limit.”

— Anbreen Ajaib, Executive Director, Bedari

Today, Malala Fund supports 11 Education Champions in Pakistan.

UPDATES

02/2022
Reaffirming Malala Fund's long-term commitment to girls in Pakistan
09/2022
To support girls in flood-affected regions of Pakistan, Malala Fund issues grant to International Rescue Committee
10/2022
Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai visit Pakistan

Where we Work

Malala Fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education.