Muslim World League’s push for girl’s schooling shines important spotlight on Pakistan
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Women’s education is a legitimate human right and all Muslim nations should initiate cogent steps and undertake serious education reforms in their respective countries to ensure full literacy among girls. This is the message unanimously agreed upon by all leading scholars of the Muslim world in an international conference held in Islamabad earlier this month under the leadership of renowned Muslim scholar and Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa.
In the Islamabad conference, ministers and representatives of at least 47 countries took part to share their vision for girls’ education and establishing the educational justice and economic empowerment of women in the Muslim world. The effort was in continuation of the Makkah declaration signed in 2019 in Saudi Arabia, which was mainly conceived and realized by the Muslim World League and presented by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.
Realizing the importance and urgency of women’s education in the Muslim world, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League have been struggling to create awareness in Muslim communities through conferences and other educational programs. They have also been funding dozens of educational institutes in different countries especially in Pakistan through scholarships and teachers’ training to achieve maximum literacy rates and gender equality.
Under the auspices of the OIC, the Muslim World League has signed agreements with at least 22 universities and international educational institutions at the Islamabad conference.
Sajjad Qamar
Unfortunately, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain at the bottom of the Muslim nations in terms of women’s literacy rates at 49 percent and 22 percent respectively. The Central Asian states including Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan boast 100 percent literacy rates for women, followed by Saudi Arabia and Indonesia with 95 percent.
The female literacy rate in Pakistan significantly varies between rural and urban areas based on opportunities and traditions surrounding girls’ education. In Afghanistan, the government has issued numerous decrees to limit women’s education which all Muslim scholars at the Islamabad conference rejected, and affirming that girls’ education was a basic right, not a privilege.
Under the auspices of the OIC, the Muslim World League has signed agreements with at least 22 universities and international educational institutions at the Islamabad conference to bridge the gender gap in schools by jacking up girls’ enrolment.
As per the vision of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa has been very active in promoting girls’ education in Muslim communities and highlighting their positive image in the world by organizing conferences and seminars in different European countries as well as North America. Last year, he met Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, in the Vatican to discuss mutual cooperation and shared interests as part of his global mission to push female literacy and promote a positive image of Muslim nations.
Obviously, this has been an ongoing and continuous struggle to achieve. Robust educational reforms are required as well as up skilling teachers and allocating generous resources. Education is key for women as it provides them with knowledge and confidence to fully participate in society and make informed decisions, apart from equipping them with skills to avail better economic opportunities, to reduce poverty and inequality in their respective societies. The role of the OIC and the Muslim World League has been crucial in achieving all these objectives in Muslim communities, provided the respective authorities fully liaison with them.
– The writer is a senior academic with an interest in Middle Eastern studies and political economy.
