PESHAWAR:Blue Veins and Pakistan Education Coalition Network (PECN), in partnership with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC), organized a post-budget seminar to discuss allocation and spending for girls’ secondary education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The seminar brought together a diverse audience, including government departments, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), media representatives, academia, civil society organizations (CSOs), and officials from the Elementary and Secondary Education Department. This collaborative effort demonstrated the collective commitment to addressing the critical issue of girls’ secondary education in the region.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated 4.3 billion of its development budget for education for four months in fiscal year 2023-2024, which includes 107 development schemes for elementary and secondary education.
During the seminar, officials from the Elementary and Secondary Education Department reaffirmed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s steadfast commitment to improving girls’ education.
The event also provided a platform for civil society organizations to express their concerns over delays in elections, political crises, and their adverse effects on adequate financial resources for educational initiatives. These concerns were articulated with the aim of generating collective solutions and garnering support for the advancement of girls’ secondary education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Political representatives, including Shagufta Malik of the Awami National Party (ANP), Zeenat Bibi from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Baseerat Naz from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), expressed their unwavering commitment to improving girls’ secondary education, transcending political affiliations. Their united stance emphasized the non-partisan nature of this critical issue, highlighting the shared goal of ensuring that every girl in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has access to quality secondary education.
Mushtaq Hussain, Additional Secretary Development, KPESED, said, “We acknowledge the critical importance of investing in girls’ secondary education as a fundamental step toward empowerment and progress. Despite the resource challenges, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is steadfast in its commitment to advancing girls’ education.”
Amna Durrani, Program Director, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women, said, “This seminar serves as a platform for collective dialogue and action. We must address the delays in elections and the need for adequate financial resources to ensure that girls in our province have equitable access to quality secondary education.”
Ijaz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of the Child Welfare and Protection Commission, said, “Ensuring the welfare and protection of our children, especially girls, hinges on their access to education. We stand united in our commitment to this cause, transcending political affiliations, for the betterment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s future.”