Keynote speakers included Australian Honorary Consul General Salim Ghauri, Souriya Anwar, Founder, SOS (Children’s Villages), Syeda Henna Babar Ali, Packages, Sameena Kareem (late Arfa Karim’s Mom), Maheen Taseer (wife of Shabaz Taseer), Hina Salman (make up artist), Omar Jamil, Qasif Shahid, Monis Rahman & Shameelah Ismail.

The full day training was focused on Entrepreneurship, Coding, Negotiation, Building a Brand, Grooming, Self-Confidence & Leadership.

“With the partnership and support of so many, we are delighted to introduce our award-winning Educate a Girl programme in Lahore, starting with the education of 200 deserving girls,”  stated Tara Uzra Dawood, Founder, Educate a Girl. “The aim of the program is to encourage young women to become leaders and women of influence and are very excited about our fantastic trainers and speakers.”

Pakistan’s female population is estimated to be 48.65 percent of the total, the majority of which lives in the country’s rural areas. In rural Pakistan opportunities, for women are still lower than those the limited ones for their sisters in the urban centres. According to Labour Force Statistics (LFS) 2012-2013, of the estimated 180 million people, only 12.51 million Pakistani females of various ages are in employment of some sort. There exists a cultural bias, which manifests as a discouragement from hiring women. Thus, this program is an important step to address an urgent need to increase the representation of women holding influential jobs in Lahore, to better address issues affecting women and girls, such as: domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault, harmful cultural practices, level of access to quality education and healthcare, child marriage, enacting laws and enforcing legislation to enhance overall welfare of women, female genital mutilation, funding  constraints for business start-ups, entrepreneurial training and mentorship, gender equity in corporate board representation, pay differentials, low level of participation in governance and leadership by women etc.

Educate a Girl is a partnership between Dawood Global Foundation and Facebook’s internet.org to educate 1 million girls globally and was just recognized by the World Bank as top 2% women-led initiative in MENA. EAG has successfully educated 1000 deserving girls in Karachi, Pakistan and 1250 in Lagos, Nigeria, including those orphaned by the atrocities of the Boko Haram.  Funds are currently being raised for Morocco, Turkey and Canada (First Nations).  This launch in Lahore will take this international movement truly national and we may even educate a future Prime Minister in our audience.

Educate a Girl to date has had many renowned trainers speakers such as Sculptor Amin Gulgee, Designer Deepak Perwani, News Anchor Nadia Naqi, Imran Zakir [Bureau Chief (KHI), Pakistan International Press Agency], Social  Development Professional Bilquis Rehman, Grooming expert Khadija Chagani of Pivot Point, Honorary Consul General of Finland Sadia Khan, Fashion journalist Zurain Imam, News anchor Sana Hashmi, Tehmina Khaled, Shanaz Ramzi, Khursheed Hyder, Iram Noor, Dr. Fouzia Khan, Masood Lohar, Swiss Consul General Emil Wyss, Russian Consul General Oleg N. Avdeev, British Deputy Head of Mission Gill Atkinson, Juliet Kego Ume-Onyido, Wana Udobang,  English Professor Emeritus Dr. Ishrat Lindblad of Sweden, Pakistan High Commissioner in Nigeria H.E. Agha M. Umar Farooq, Climate Journalist Sarah Phillips of Australia (in partnership with the UNDP and the Australian High Commission), Muhammad Ali, Northwestern University Professor and Chicago Tribune ace Finance Journalist Susan Chandler of the US (in partnership with the IBA Centre of Excellence in Journalism), as well as Alex Preston of the Guardian and BBC (in partnership with the British Council).

In Karachi, 5 scholars have become news anchors, 19 girls have contributed scholarships out of their first ever paychecks, 1 girl has funded 4 scholarships for her peers from her success and several girls have been placed in successful jobs or become entrepreneurs.

Hashoo Group was Hospitality Partner, PC Lahore was Venue Partner & Scentsation was Speaker Appreciation Partner. Dawood Global Foundation is audited by Ernst & Young Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder and Tax exempt under FBR.

What gets counted, gets done. The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, on 11 October, “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, is a call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data. One year into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are holding them back is critical for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals

One such issue that is standing in the way of girls’ progress is child, early and forced  marriage. The data is daunting—one in three girls in developing countries (except China) get married before they turn 18. Girls who are child brides miss out on education, are more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, and bear children before they are physically or emotionally prepared. The cycle of violence that begins in girlhood, carries over into womanhood and across generations. The 2030 Agenda must address their needs and unlock their potential.

UN Women works around the world to empower women and girls and raise awareness on their rights, advocate for the adoption and implementation of laws and policies that prohibit and prevent child, early and forced marriage, and mobilize communities against the practice.

– See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/girl-child#sthash.6KhZG2Ro.dpuf

1.FUTURE EDUCATED GENERATIONS – An African proverb says, “If we educate a boy, we educate one person. If we educate a girl, we educate a family – and a whole nation.” By sending a girl to school, she is far more likely to ensure that her children also receive an education. As many claim, investing in a girl’s education is investing in a nation.

2.DECREASE INFANT MORTALITY: Children of educated women are less likely to die before their first birthday. Girls who receive an education are less likely to contact HIV & AIDS, and thus, less likely to pass it onto their children. Primary education alone helps reduce infant mortality significantly, and secondary education helps even more. The Girls Global Education Fund reports that when a child is born to a woman in Africa who hasn’t received an education, he or she has a 1 in 5 chance of dying before 5.

3.DECREASE MATERNAL MORTALITY: Educated women (with greater knowledge of health care and fewer pregnancies) are less likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or during the postpartum period. Increased education of girls also leads to more female health care providers to assist with prenatal medical care, labor and delivery, delivery complications and emergencies, and follow-up care.

4.DECREASE CHILD MARRIAGE: Child marriage – in some cases involving girls as young as 6 or 8 – almost always results in the end of a girl’s schooling. The result is illiterate or barely literate young mothers without adequate tools to build healthy, educated families. On average, for every year a girl stays in school past fifth grade, her marriage is delayed a year. Educated girls typically marry later, when they are better able to bear and care for their children.

5.DECREASE POPULATION EXPLOSION: Educated women tend to have fewer (and healthier) babies. A 2000 study in Brazil found that literate women had an average of 2.5 children while illiterate women had an average of six children, according to UNESCO.

6.INCREASE INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESS: Educated women are more likely to participate in political discussions, meetings, and decision-making, which in turn promotes a more representative, effective government.

7.DECREASE DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE: Educated girls and women are less likely to be victims of domestic and sexual violence or to tolerate it in their families.

8.DECREASE SUPPORT FOR MILITANCY: As women become more educated, they are less likely to support militancy and terrorism than similarly educated men.

9.IMPROVE SOCIOECONOMIC GROWTH: Educated women have a greater chance of escaping poverty, leading healthier and more productive lives, and raising the standard of living for their children, families, and communities.

These and many more are some of the valuable reasons why we should all support education for girls. For every boy that is educated, every girl should be educated too.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO IMPROVE GIRLS’ ACCESS TO EDUCATION?

According to UNICEF, experience in scores of countries shows the importance, among other things, of:

1.Parental and community involvement — Families and communities must be important partners with schools in developing curriculum and managing children’s education.

2.Low-cost and flexible timetables — Basic education should be free or cost very little. Where possible, there should be stipends and scholarships to compensate families for the loss of girls’ household labour. Also, school hours should be flexible so children can help at home and still attend classes.

3.Schools close to home, with women teachers — Many parents worry about girls travelling long distances on their own. Many parents also prefer to have daughters taught by women.

4.Preparation for school — Girls do best when they receive early childhood care, which enhances their self-esteem and prepares them for school.

5.Relevant curricula — Learning materials should be relevant to the girl’s background and be in the local language. They should also avoid reproducing gender stereotypes.

Malala Yousafzi, the Pakistani schoolgirl brought to England after being shot in the head by the Taliban, will address the United Nations today. She will mark her 16th birthday by delivering a speech at the UN headquarters in New York to call on governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child.

It will be the teenager’s first public speech since she was attacked on a bus in Pakistan’s north-western Swat valley after standing up for her right to go to school in her home country.

She will tell a delegation of more than 500 young people: “Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.

“One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.”

Join hands and support #education for all boys and girls. No one should be left out. #MalalaDay