Nearly three quarters of young Pakistani girls are not enrolled in primary school and the number finishing five years in education has declined, a new UN and government report showed yesterday.
The findings expose the miserable state of education for millions in Pakistan, where the Taliban shot 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai in the head in October to silence her campaign for the right to an education.
“Nearly half of primary school age children are not enrolled in school and among eligible girls the out of school proportion is closer to three-quarters. In absolute numbers, out-of-school girls outnumber their male counterparts,” it said.
“Completion rates to the fifth year of schooling have actually declined in the past five years,” it said. Some 55% of all Pakistani adults are illiterate and among women the rate is closer to 75%, it added.
The report said women are denied their basic right to education and to a decent life.
“Females in Pakistan face discrimination, exploitation and abuse at many levels.”