Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act Policy Brief

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Blue Ridge Impact Consulting (BRiC) supports the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act (H.R.4508), introduced by Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) with bi-partisan co-sponsorship of the 116th Congress. The Bill asserts the role of education and education exchange as a step towards inclusive and effective participation of women in society. With the objective of furthering institutional linkages between the United States and Pakistan, the scholarship expansion builds on the history of diplomatic and political goodwill of U.S. policymakers, members of Congress and leaders of educational institutions.

Introduction

The Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act, originally introduced to the United States Congress in 2013, has worked on giving educational opportunities to Pakistani youth in hopes of reducing the knowledge gap. There is an emphasis on the education of girls and women with at least 50% of all scholarships projected to be awarded to Pakistani women. 

As part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals the United Nations member states are encouraged to work towards Goal No.4 of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Education for women and girls plays a crucial role in the success of other goals such as health and gender equality, making it important to place at the forefront of U.S. policy. 

Women lag behind in access to education in society because of structural barriers. Globally, the UN recognizes the need for women’s full and effective participation. This year, the Commission of Status of Women will address this topic. 

The U.S. Congress recognizes the call for literacy and women's education as a path for developed communities to introduce the expansion of the USAID scholarship education exchange initiative to include more women from all regions of the country. It is recognized that girls’ education is a strategic development priority. 

Research indicates that better educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer offspring, marry at a later age, and have healthier children. They are more likely to participate in the formal labor market and earn higher incomes. All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and countries out of poverty. Girls and women are the key to a flourishing global society and their educational opportunities are vital.

Education Exchange Programs 

Education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. The design, apparatus, and infrastructure that supports and maintains international scholarships, including geographic focus areas, gender issues, or levels of study, can have a significant impact on access and equity in application processes. This, in turn, impacts the success of such programs. 

Literacy is an important tool to break out of a vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty and degradation, and is essential to eradicating hunger, fostering female empowerment, and reducing food insecurity for the most vulnerable population. For the rural poor, knowledge and capacity building offers a life out of poverty and builds women’s identity. 

Despite  enormous efforts, poor literacy is  increasing. In many countries, education remains inaccessible, or is intentionally surpassed by governments. While in developed countries, women now enjoy gender parity in access to higher education with 52% of tertiary students being female.  In developing countries, this proportion reaches just 27%. It has also been realized that policies and projects that disregard  the female position in society have a negative impact on development. 

The contribution of development education scholarships to the education of women from developing countries has become a well-established development aid scheme, with the common purpose to enhance the influence of scholarship providers and build the relationship between donors and scholarship recipient countries. From a gender perspective, these programs are practical tools to promote and sustain the position of female participants. Exchange programs might also help address several barriers which women experience in academia, ranging from personal, organizational, and societal. These may include low confidence thanks to negative socialization, fewer support systems or networks, or penalties for those who do not conform to conservative gender stereotypes.

Education in Pakistan

Scholars have identified a number of issues that are preventing a proper education system to thrive in Pakistan throughout its history. 

There is a lack of uniformity in curriculum as well as a cultural divide generated by the education system. In addition, society has been divided in socio-political and economical terms as a consequence of terrorism. All of these factors, in addition to a gender divide, have contributed to the lack of effective educational outcomes.

In Pakistan, there is a great gender disparity in education. Approximately 22.8 million children between 5-16 are out of school, making the country the second worldwide with the most children out of school. 

Access to education for girls is a major challenge in Pakistan. In provinces such as Sindh, 52 percent of the poorest children are girls and they are out of school; meanwhile, in Balochistan, 78 percent of girls are out of school. 

The gender gap widens as the level of education increases. Opportunities for girls begin to diminish at the middle and secondary school levels. Enrollment in Pakistan drops from 22.5 million at the primary level to 7 million in middle school. The lack of facilities is regarded as a leading reason for female dropouts from middle and secondary schools. 

Gender disparities are evident across all levels of education in Pakistan. A UNICEF report from 2020 reveals that 18.2 million between the ages of 15 and 25 are not in education or training, out of which there are twice as many girls as boys. 

Pakistan is one of the lowest spenders on education in South Asia. Only 2 percent of Pakistan’s GDP is allocated to education each year. The average in South Asia is 4 percent and the global average is 4.8 per cent. 

Conclusion 

Education is a necessary tool in achieving equity in society. Inclusive efforts such as the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act promote access to education for all by harnessing political will and resources towards sustainable development. We need to further support structured activations that target educational divides.

The formation of partnerships with the non-profit sector is a promising step toward securing opportunities for girls to develop and thrive. While efforts in bridging the gender divide are promising, experts agree that these efforts must persist now more than ever to meet the expectations of sustainable development as outlined by the UN, specifically Global Goal No.4, Quality Education, and No., Gender Equality.

Prepared by Blue Ridge Impact Consulting, LLC Team: Bohumila Klajblova, Doha Maaty, Cecilia Torres, Fatimah Alyas

For more information, contact: unexperientialfellowship@gmail.com

References

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Investing in Pakistan’s Young People, UNICEF, December 2020 - Report 

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