Increase Girls' Access to Education in Pakistan

Dear Pakistan Project Supporters,

Warm greetings! On behalf of Girls Education International (Girls Ed), I sincerely thank you for your generous support of our project, “Send 60 Girls in Pakistan to School.” This project is a collaboration with Bedari, our long-time partner organization in Pakistan. 

Access to education is so important for children everywhere, and in the context of rural villages in Pakistan, lack of transportation is a major barrier keeping girls out of secondary school. This, in turn, puts girls at elevated risk of child marriage. Your contributions to Girls Ed have helped keep girls in school and supported their participation in Bedari’s self-growth sessions. 

These experiences empower girls to see themselves as agents of change, as illustrated by the stories shared by some of the girls themselves:

Iqra said:

“My education makes me strong and enables me to use my agency, educate girls about their rights, and speak up against abuse.”

Muqaddas expressed a similar sentiment: 

“My education helps me understand that women and girls are equal human beings, and I stand with everyone. I am now capable of spreading awareness on rights among women and girls and will continue to do so.” 

This kind of ripple effect is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ending child marriages. Another key factor is persistence, for as long as there is injustice in the world, there is work to be done!

And with your support, we continue the work. After 30 girls graduated last fall, Bedari recruited new participants into the program. Girls were recruited from across six different villages, including some with shorter travel distances than others, which allowed Bedari to add one more girl to the program! There are now 61 girls enrolled in grades 6–12. Each one of these girls has a story all her own. Stay tuned in the coming months as we share many of their stories on our blog and social media.

Having allies like you who are willing to support and advocate for girls’ basic human rights – especially access to education – can make such an enormous difference in girls’ lives. We are so grateful for your support in sustaining this important work!

If you would like to learn more about the work Girls Ed does in Pakistan and beyond, please check out our podcast, follow us on social media (Twitter @girlsed), or reach out to us at info@girlsed.org. 

With kindest regards,

Mercedes Ward