Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is set to attend a summit on girls’ education in Islamabad, aimed at advancing education for girls and promoting women’s empowerment.

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Malala, an outspoken advocate for girls’ education, survived a targeted attack by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on October 9, 2012, while returning from school in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Critically injured in the attack, she was evacuated from Pakistan after initial treatment and has since returned to the country only a few times.

In a post on X, Malala expressed her enthusiasm for the event, saying, “I am excited to join Muslim leaders from around the world for a critical conference on girls’ education. On Sunday, I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls.”

Her Malala Fund charity confirmed she will attend the summit in person, scheduled for January 11-12. The conference will focus on improving access to education for girls in Muslim communities.

Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are banned from attending school and university. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, they have implemented a restrictive interpretation of Islamic law, described by the United Nations as “gender apartheid.” Girls are only permitted to attend primary school, and women are largely confined to working in segregated roles within health or education sectors. The Taliban claims their interpretation of Islamic law upholds the rights of Afghan men and women.

The summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will feature ministers and ambassadors from 44 countries, along with representatives from the United Nations and the World Bank. A government statement emphasized the event as a demonstration of the Muslim community’s commitment to empowering girls through education.

Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui highlighted that the two-day international conference would address barriers to women’s education across the Muslim world.

In 2018, Malala visited her hometown of Swat for the first time in over five years following the attack and later returned to Pakistan to visit areas affected by severe monsoon floods and meet with flood victims.

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