A high-profile meeting on girls’ education is planned for January 11 and 12 in Islamabad, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who is known for writing diaries under the pen name Gul Makai criticizing Taliban anti-girls education practices in Swat, is expected to attend.
In Muslim communities, the summit seeks to increase awareness of women’s empowerment and promote girls’ education.
On October 9, 2012, the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked Malala, a well-known supporter of girls’ education, in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, threatening to kill her.
On her way home from school, she and her companions Shazia and Kainat were targeted. Malala, who suffered severe injuries in the attack, was taken to another country for medical care and has since made just a few trips to Pakistan.
In an X (formerly Twitter) statement, Malala conveyed her excitement for the occasion:
Joining Muslim leaders from around the globe for an important meeting on girls’ education excites me. My speech on Sunday will focus on defending the right of all girls to attend school and the need for authorities to hold the Taliban responsible for the atrocities committed against Afghan women and girls.
A representative for her international education-focused nonprofit, the Malala Fund, confirmed she will be physically present at the summit.
