Educated Girls Essential To Socio-economic Growth, Says Lawmakers 

News Desk

Peshawar: Former lawmakers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly belonging to different political parties vowed to continue supporting and advancing KP’s policy of prioritising girls’ education regardless of political affiliation.

By signing the pledge, they acknowledged the significance of educating girls as a means of achieving gender equality and empowerment; and pledged to support and push for policies and programmes that promote and provide equitable access to quality education for girls.

The pledge was made in an event organised by Blue Veins, a non-governmental organization, and the office of the KP Assembly speaker where ex-lawmakers renewed their commitment.

The signed pledge statement stated, “We as legislators of KP Assembly representing different political parties, have unanimously supported the agenda of girls’ education by increasing resources to girls’ education and allocating budget with the 70: 30 ratios to improve gender parity in education. During our tenure, we did all possible efforts to ensure that girls’ education remains a development priority for KP.”

Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said, “Members of all political parties have contributed significantly to the advancement of right-based agenda, such as the education of girls. We as political activists recognise the significant obstacles that prevent girls from accessing and completing their education, such as poverty, discrimination, and cultural attitudes, and that educating girls and women benefits not only individuals, but also families, communities, and entire societies.”

Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) Former Chairperson Dr Sumera Shams stated, “Beyond party lines, female legislators and political activists think that educated women and girls have the capacity to create a better future for themselves, their communities and the entire globe. We pledge to include every effort for girls’ education in the platform statements and election campaigns of our political parties.”

Former MPA Shagufta Malik added that “by acting as a watchdog on government policies and programmes pertaining to education, opposition parties played a significant role in promoting girls’ education.”

Blue Veins Program Manager Qamar Naseem mentioned that in order for females to receive high-quality education and realise their full potential, financing is essential. Governments and organisations can build a more just and sustainable world by investing in their education.