Pakistan Must Ensure at least 12 Years of education for Girls.

Islamabad -- The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education celebration of the role of education for peace and development as without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

There are 50.8 million children in Pakistan between the ages of 5 and 16, of which 22.8 million are out of school. 13 million or 53% of these out-of-school children in Pakistan are girls.' While girls' access to quality education is dismal across the country, the situation at the grass-root level is all the more precarious. There are fewer schools for girls at all levels compared to boys. For instance, as per Department of Education Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Annual School Census Report 2017 - 18, there are 12586 boys primary schools compared to only 8594 for girls. Similarly, there are 1475 middle schools and 1422 high schools for boys in the province compared to only 1198 middle schools and 805 high schools for girls. There are 5,538 secondary schools in the province out of which only 39% are of girls.

Civil Society organizations demanded that 'Khyber Pakhtunkhwa free compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Act 2017' was adopted 2 years ago but the rules of the business for this legislation are yet not notified. In light of global evidence, the benefits of secondary education for girls are not only extended to the individual, it has proven to uplift families, communities and nations altogether. Aside from the fact that education is an inherent human right, investing in girl's secondary...